Previously: While Voldemort has managed to stay under the radar, the Wizarding community is still uncertain and fearful of what could happen. Lily and James both receive their Hogwarts letters and begin to prepare themselves for school.


Chapter 2: Introductions

"Sev!" yelled Lily as she sprinted towards the playground that had become their typical meeting place over the past two years. "Sev, I got my letter!"

Thankfully her best friend was already there, waiting for her. After meeting Severus two years ago, the two had quickly become fast friends after Severus told her what she really was. Lily would always go to the park as soon as she had finished either school or football practice (whichever one it was on a given day), and he would always be waiting for her. Sometimes they would sneak up to the Snapes' attic to go over old potion and spell books, but other times they would simply stay at the park all day, playing and talking about anything and everything related to Hogwarts and the Wizarding world. She knew that he had been looking forward to the day the letters arrived just as much as Lily had.

Severus jumped out of the swing he had been sitting in, his expression flipping from wallowing to uncontained joy. He raced to meet her, the swing still fluttering from when he had gotten off.

"Really? Who brought it to you?" he asked.

"Professor McGonagall and some old guy," answered Lily, still grinning widely. It was the kind of smile that only Severus could bring out. "I tried to remember which class she taught, but I couldn't. After all this time talking about Hogwarts, I forgot which teachers taught which classes, and – oh, dear. What if I completely forget everything by the time we get there? Sev, how can I make a good impression when I don't know the first thing about magic?"

"You have nothing to worry about, Lils. You'll probably be one of the best witches in Hogwarts."

He quickly gave her a comforting hug which Lily returned until she stepped away, biting her lip anxiously.

"Besides, memory loss only proves you're human."

"Hey," said Lily, pretending to be hurt. She lightly slapped his shoulder with the back of her hand and teased, "I wasn't the one who took the wrong path to our part of the creek."

"You know I was only joking, Lils. So what did your parents say?" asked Severus.

"Well, they had to take some time to get used to the idea, but after they got over the shock and the people left, Mum started going frantic trying to make plans and everything. She's taking me to Diagon Alley today after she and Dad finish some errands. I'm supposed to be back home in fifteen minutes to use the Floo Network. This is going to be so wonderful, Sev! It's really sad that you can't go to Diagon Alley with us, but just think about it: me and you in – what's the matter, Sev?"

At the mention of parents, Severus' eyes tightened, and Lily recognized her mistake at once. While her family life might have been wonderful with two happily married parents who loved her unconditionally, Severus did not have that luxury. The few times Lily had seen Eileen and Tobias Snape and the even fewer times that her best friend had talked about them, she knew that it was not at all like her home life. Tobias Snape, from the one time she had spied through a window to see if Severus was home, was a drunk capable of flying into a rage at the snap of a hand. Severus did not ever mention it, but Lily knew that he could sometimes go past verbal abuse.

She hurried to cover the slip of her tongue. "Oh, Sev, I'm so sorry. I completely –"

"I'm okay, Lily – it's not like I can't ever handle talking about parents," said Severus quickly, but even though his closed off look tended to scare people away, she knew better.

Determined to change the subject to one that did not leave a silence hanging between the two, Lily glanced around at the playground she had grown so familiar with over the years. Severus just needed something to occupy his mind …

"Swings are free," she said slowly. "Let's see who can jump higher!"

Yes, one of the silly challenges she always managed to cook up was sure to lighten Severus's mood. Sometimes she would persuade him to see who chickened out first when climbing the trees in the woods while other times she would make him participate in a laughing contest (Lily always lost those. No matter how hard she tried, Severus was the master of poker faces.)

"Lily, I don't think we –" started Severus, but Lily paid no attention and determinedly pulled him over to the empty playground where the swings creaked quietly in the wind.

As she predicted, Severus was smiling once again as they took turns trying to alternately hold strange poses in the air. Lily always had a talent when it came to jumping off the wildly flying swings, and pretty soon she was mimicking flapping arms or jogging while she effortlessly sailed through the air. When she tried to add a badly performed chicken dance to her routine, it was too much for either of them, and she and Severus collapsed onto the woodchips, overcome with laughter.

As they tried to regain control of their emotions, Lily could not help but smile as she watched Severus chuckle – Hogwarts was really going to be wonderful with her best and closest friend by her side.

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ 1971 ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

James impatiently waited for his food as his father engaged in a conversation with two old warlocks who, by the sound of it, were retired Ministry employees that had worked alongside Mr. and Mrs. Potter several times during the war with Grindelwald. They did not give much hints as to what those times entailed, but given that both his parents spent a large portion of their time as part of Magic Shield's emergency response team, it was not hard to imagine what those alluded-to adventures during wartime included. While James was unsure which division of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement the wizards worked in, he was sure that one was named Gibber and the other was Gabble. The two names together were simply too funny to forget: Gibber and Gabble, Gabble and Gibber.

"Those young 'uns will always be too 'cited for school," said Gibber, ruffling James's hair. They were currently eating breakfast at the bar in the Leaky Cauldron, talking about the differences in schooling over the years. "Got ter be ready for everythin', don' 'cha, young Potter? Homework 's always important to yer studies. Don' forget tha'."

"Homework?" said James, scrunching his face together at the very thought while their young waitress, whose nametag read Mafalda Hopkirk, finally put a plate of omelets in front of him. He dug in enthusiastically and swallowed two giant bites before he added, "I'll practice if it means putting Stink Pellets in the professors' pockets, but I'm not doing any homework."

While Gibber and Gabble laughed, their faces quite red, Mr. Potter just rolled his eyes. James cracked a smile when he saw that the two warlocks thought him funny and he returned to the delicious omelets that the waitress had given him – perhaps he could really be the prankster he always wanted to be.

It did not take him that long to finish the omelet, what with James practically inhaling it and all. His father took a little longer to finish his own food since he was still in a deep discussion that had turned to the 1970 Quidditch World Cup and how Royston Idlewind, the new International Director of the International Confederations of Wizards Quidditch Committee, had recently instigated a ban on wands in all finals for the World Cup. It was interesting enough that James listened to it for a little bit, but as he was unable to contribute his own colorful commentary, he soon found his attention wandering.

Most of the school rush to buy all the supplies had not started yet, which meant there were not many people his age, though James could still see a family with two girls who looked to be twins sitting in the far corner. Other than when their waitress Mafalda came by to refill his pumpkin juice and such, there was not much else to do until his father was done catching up with Gibber and Gabble, so James distracted himself by squirting out some ketchup and writing as many different Gryffindor slogans as he could on the table.

When he was in the middle of writing Winners: Gryffindor, Losers: Slytherins with the ketchup from the bottle on the table, Mr. Potter stopped him. With a frown, he took out his wand to vanish what James had already been doing and signaled to James to gather his stuff. James did not need to be told twice; he was too eager to get to Diagon Alley.

"So nice to see you two. Are you going to come to the New Year's Eve Ball? I hear the Fudges are hosting it this year," said Mr. Potter, grabbing his cloak.

Gibber and Gabble looked at each other for a moment before Gibber responded, "Nah, we're not important 'nough ter be invited. Anyhows, I'm gettin' too old for those uppity parties. Fudges, Crouches, and Blacks all under one roof? I think we'll pass."

Mr. Potter chuckled. "Alright, you two, if you insist – seems the missus and I are going to be all on our own then. James, where's your list of supplies?"

"Here, Dad," said James, unfolding the list that had been long past wrinkled due to how he had unceremoniously stuffed it into his jacket pocket before leaving the Potter Manor.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Uniform

Three sets of plain work robes (black)

One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Course Books

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade One) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Basics of Defensive Magic by Subulba Shields

Other Equipment

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may bring if they desire either an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK.

Mr. Potter bit his lip thoughtfully while he fully examined the list, and James stood up on the booth's bench to hover over his shoulder. What James really wanted was to get his wand first. Oh, the joys he would have when he was not reduced to nicking one of his parents' wands and had one that would be his and his alone.

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ 1971 ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

"Richard, how much money do you think we should bring?"

Mr. and Mrs. Evans were standing by the fireplace debating how much money to exchange at Gringotts while Lily and her sister argued quietly in the kitchen where neither parent could hear.

"I'm sorry, Lily. I don't want to spend the rest of my life here hanging out with people like you and that Snape boy," sniffed Petunia. Her arms were crossed, and she had a look of superiority on her face that annoyed Lily to no end. "It's good that you're going away for the rest of the year. People like you should not be around society. It's for our own safety. Who knows what barbaric things your kind might do to us?"

"Barbaric? I'm still your sister!"

Petunia drew herself up to her full height. "You're still a little witch. A real sister would be nice and stay with her family."

Lily felt like she had been slapped in the face. She felt her temper rise, and she lowered her voice so her parents would not hear if she unconsciously let it rise again, something she knew was bound to happen. "And my sister would say that because she's jealous that she's no longer always first," she hissed. "Admit it, Petunia – you just don't like that you now have to share the spotlight."

It might have been a low blow, but Petunia was becoming absolutely unbearable.

Petunia smirked. "Well, it's a good thing I'm no longer your sister."

"No, you're just a bitter prissy who takes things out on people who have what she doesn't."

That blow struck even lower. Lily knew it should not have been so satisfying to watch Petunia's anger rise, but she simply could not help herself. She outwardly smirked at the sight of her sister going from pale to red, from red to purple – and amazingly, to a color Lily had never seen.

"Lily, time to go!" called her mother from the living room, cutting short any further conversation, and Petunia turned angrily away to stomp back up to her bedroom.

Lily gave her one last look of regret before heading to the living room where both of her parents stood waiting for her, excited yet unaware of the escalating tension between the two sisters. However, as Lily took in her mother and father standing in front of the fireplace, she could not bring herself to tell either of them what was going on.

Although Lily wished that both of her parents could come with her to Diagon Alley, she was only able take her mother with her since Muggles could not travel by Floo Powder alone, and all three of them – Lily, her mother, and her father – would not fit in the fireplace together. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed a handful, and the flames that were their usual red and orange turned a bright, bright green. Stepping in with her mother clutching her hand tightly, she yelled, "The Leaky Cauldron!"

Severus had informed her about it, but as Lily had never actually traveled by Floo Powder before, she was not sure what to expect.

She did not have to wait long to see what would happen. The effects of the powder were instantaneous. The green flames spun Lily and her mother around faster and faster. Lily could not close her eyes from the speed, though they fluttered from the force, and she caught several glimpses of living rooms and a kitchen. Somebody was sitting in one, but Lily passed it too fast to deduce anything from the figure. Something hot stung her elbow, and she tucked it closer.

And then the spinning suddenly stopped. As if an invisible force was tugging at her, Lily stumbled out of the fire, still gripping her mother's hand tightly. She nearly fell over from the abrupt cease of the Floo traveling, but her mother had been steadier coming out, despite the fact that she had not been any more familiar with Floo Powder than Lily was. Thankfully, Mrs. Evans caught her before she could make the embarrassing mistake of falling flat on her face.

Lily stepped farther away, dragging her mother with her. A whoosh from behind blew her hair up into her face, and an elderly wizard climbed out of the green flames, shaking his head. "... got to remind people not to … dirty, little ... third dead puffskein this month ..." he walked away, grumbling words that were obviously English but still sounded strange and foreign to her ears.

Looking around at where they had arrived at, Lily could not say she was that impressed with the entrance to the famous Diagon Alley that Severus had told her so much about. She had been expecting a grand restaurant, not the shabby place she and her mother were standing in. The small, dingy pub was crowded with people, most of the wearing floor-length cloaks and robes. She suppressed a shiver as someone who did not look entirely human ordered something that looked like raw meat. A small girl her age who was sitting right next to the strange woman fearfully stared at the disconcerting choice of food and quickly jumped off her chair at the sight, running to in between two people who could only be the girl's parents.

Lily and her mother were one of the few wearing Muggle clothes, earning a few weird looks from a couple of patrons grouped in the different corners of the pub. Somebody who had ordered an amber liquid that fizzled and popped merrily leaned away from them and whispered to her friend, eyes focused on Lily and her mother, and the rest of the patrons were not much different. Lily counted three people who wore Muggle clothes: a worn-out couple sitting in the back looking as if they had just finished a marathon and the little blond girl, though her clothes still were not quite with the fashion of most Muggles her age.

"Professor McGonagall said Tom the barman, right?" whispered her mother.

Lily clasped her mother's hand, afraid to let go, as her mother led her up to the barman. He was cleaning glasses as he smiled a toothless smile at Lily and her mother.

"Excuse me, Professor McGonagall said you could help us get into Diagon Alley."

Lily could barely hear her mother's reassuring voice over the babble.

"First time at Hogwarts? Need to get your supplies?" he asked kindly.

Her mother nodded.

"The Prewetts are also going to Diagon Alley as soon as they're finished with lunch. I'm sure they can show you. Their daughter is starting Hogwarts as well this year."

He waved over a small family close to them. Lily saw the girl who had avoided the raw meat-eating woman earlier. Her round, friendly face was framed by curly blond hair, and her blue eyes shined brightly as she followed her parents who had risen from their seats to come over.

"Hi, I'm Alice Prewett," said the girl, boldly sticking out her hand once the family reached Lily and her mother.

Lily took it, remembering Prewett as one of the names of an old pure-blood family Severus had told her about, though she also recalled that the Prewetts were one of the more spread-out families as well. It was disconcerting – despite all her conversations with Severus, she had never met somebody who had spent their entire lives in the magical world. If Lily was being honest with herself, she felt a little intimidated by Alice and her parents.

"Lily Evans," she responded quietly.

"I don't recognize that surname," said Alice, giving Lily a curious look while Lily herself swallowed hard; she had been in a Wizarding pub for one minute, and already people recognized her for a Muggle-born. Severus might have assured her that it did not matter, but here she was, surrounded magic with only her thoroughly non-magical mother at her side. It probably did not help either that their wardrobe choices stood out by a mile.

"Alice! Be polite!" scolded the woman who could only be her mother. She gave a smile that copied Alice's own and held out her free hand for Lily's mother. "Forgive my daughter, please. She doesn't always think things through all the way before she says them."

Here, Mrs. Prewett gave Alice a stern look, and Alice went pink before lowering her head to avoid her mother's glare.

There was not much in the way of introductions after that. While Lily's own mother insisted that Alice's parents call her Rose, Mr. and Mrs. Prewett provided their own names, equally maintaining that both Lily and her mother call them by their own given names, Martin and Jane, respectively. It was easy for Mrs. Evans to take the Prewetts up on that – soon, the three parents were swapping entrée recipes, both magical and Muggle, like they were old friends catching up over afternoon tea.

It was clear that Lily would not be talking much with the adults while they walked on their own steam, so while her mother talked animatedly to Mrs. Prewett, she instead focused on Alice. The girl's carefree attitude had not dampened the slightest and regardless if Alice noticed it or not, she was always moving, whether it was tapping her fingers or twirling her hair as she bounced along with the rest of the group.

"Have you ever been to Diagon Alley?" asked Alice in an attempt to break the silence between the two.

"No," said Lily, shaking her head. "I've heard about it, but I've only been in the Muggle world."

Alice clapped her hands joyfully as if Lily had given the best answer possible. "Just you wait, Lily! There's shops for everything. Let's see, there's delis, joke shops, Quidditch stores …"

It did not take long for Alice to start listing off the many, many shops in Diagon Alley, some of which Lily already knew about and others that she had never heard of. It was obvious that Alice was determined to give a good first impression and make Lily feel welcome – however, she could not be sure whether it was because Alice was simply trying to make friends or if it was because of this being Lily's first experience fully immersing herself in the magical world. Whatever the reason was, Lily was content to sit back and listen as the adults began to usher them away from the bar and towards the back.

They finally reached a door, and Alice, going first, turned the handle and pushed it open; the rest of the entourage followed. Lily entered, expecting some entrance to Diagon Alley, perhaps an archway or something to lead out onto the cobble-stoned street, but all she got was a small storeroom with one lone dustbin sitting in the corner. There was nothing else in the closet save the cobwebs on the ceiling and the dust on the floor. Mrs. Evans looked just as perplexed, and if Lily had not known better, she would have thought the Prewetts were pulling her leg.

"I thought the Leaky Cauldron led to Diagon Alley?" Mrs. Evans wondered out loud, completely confused.

She glanced around as if she was looking for another doorway, but Mr. Prewett put his hand on her shoulder and said, "It is, but the entrance is hidden right now. A Muggle can't enter alone, but for when you and Lily come here next year – well, Jane will show you."

Both Lily and her mother studied Mrs. Prewett vigilantly as she took out her wand and lightly touched the bricks in a pattern: three taps up and two taps across. Then she lowered her wand and stepped back, and Lily watched, amazed, as the bricks wiggled around as one single-minded body. Slowly, a hole appeared in the previously solid brick wall, and it soon expanded into a beautiful stone archway, filling the small room with bright sunlight.

"Wow," said Lily softly.

Even though she and Severus had talked about Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and Hogwarts many times, she was still unprepared for how wonderful and magical the never-ending streets looked. Little shops had set up on either side of the lanes. People went from shop to shop, talking with friends or bargaining in little stalls. Lily heard snippets of conversations, ranging from the price of potion ingredients to the favorites to win the next Quidditch World Cup. Alice skipped happily alongside Lily, explaining some of the shops that stood out against the already boisterous alley.

"Flourish and Blotts is probably the best place to buy books. They have almost everything that was ever written."

Lily glanced up at the window display, and she did not doubt it. Every single spare inch was covered with stacks upon stacks of books.

"Oh, and Florean Fortescue owns an ice cream parlor up there. We should stop there."

Alice pointed up the street to a small, crowded shop. Lily's stomach grumbled at the mention of ice cream. On and on Alice went, pointing out other places that she loved, like Quality Quidditch Supplies and Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop.

"Alice, we need to stop at Gringotts first. I'm sure Rose has some Muggle money she needs to exchange," said Mrs. Prewett, placing a firm hand on her daughter's shoulder and steering them to an empty table outside a store called Potage's Cauldron Shop. Lily peered into the window display with interest while Alice grumbled something about the magnificent building and how her time would be better spent at the ice cream parlor.

"So if wizards don't accept pounds, then what do you guys use? Euros?" asked Mrs. Evans curiously.

They settled into the outside booth before Mr. Prewett turned to Lily's mother and explained, "Gringotts is the Wizarding bank in Britain, but Muggle money isn't used in the Wizarding World." Mrs. Evans looked like she wanted to ask what was, but Mrs. Prewett was already ahead of her. "We use Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts – I think each Galleon is about five Muggle pounds. Wizards and witches can use vaults in Gringotts to store their money and other valuables, that's a big part of what Gringotts does, but you can also exchange Muggle money there."

Lily's mother glanced in her purse and rummaged through it.

"I don't think Lily needs a vault right now; we've already set up a bank account for her. I just need to exchange some money."

She withdrew her billfold and opened it up, counting her cash; after Mrs. Evans was finished, she glanced up at Mr. and Mrs. Prewett.

"How are we supposed to exchange money again?"

Mr. Prewett held out his arm. "Here, we'll show you. It's pretty easy once you get used to it."

Lily's mother gratefully followed them, stuffing everything back in her purse.

Lily and Alice hurried to follow the adults, and Lily warily eyed the looming marble building at the end of the street. Mr. Manumali's warnings came back to her as they approached the bank.

"Are there really goblins in Gringotts?" Lily whispered to Alice, trying – and failing – to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

Alice looked surprised, though she still kept up the pace as she explained, "I forgot you were Muggle-born. Yeah, nasty little things. Thank Merlin that my parents usually take the trip down to our vault, not me. Each extra second with a goblin is a second that I don't want."

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ 1971 ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

It was impossible for James to sit still as they waited for Mr. Ollivander in the wand shop; he was simply too edgy. A magic wand had been the thing he had been looking forward to most of all. He knew that some kids were granted wands on their eleventh birthday, regardless of how much time would pass until the kids entered Hogwarts, but his parents were adamant that he not be allowed a wand until he could learn how to control it. Their reasoning was that James always managed to cause enough trouble as is, and though he understood that argument, that did not mean he liked it.

But now he was finally leaving for Hogwarts, and there was nothing standing in his way of attaining a wand for his very own … except that old man Ollivander, who was taking an absurdly long time.

"James, sit down," said Mr. Potter, exasperated. There were no other people there, but there were not any packages either since James had made a beeline straight for Ollivander's Wand Shop. He did not care much for buying cauldrons or robes – just the wand. "Jumping around isn't going to make Mr. Ollivander get here any faster."

"But Dad," groaned James. "He's talking too long."

Mr. Potter just frowned at his son and returned to the Daily Prophet that had been lying on a table before he picked it up. James watched anxiously as Mr. Potter's eyes slowly scanned the articles, and he grumbled, "You should know something's wrong when the newspaper is the most interesting thing in the room."

"I'm not sure about that," said Mr. Potter casually, still reading. "I find articles about the manticores Dumbledore wants to guard Hogwarts very interesting."

"Manticores? What manticores?" he demanded.

James whipped around and clasped a corner of Mr. Potter's newspaper, jerking it his way to read and searching furiously for the article. Ten seconds had passed, but James still could not find anything on manticores, and it was only when Mr. Potter started laughing that James realized his father was just messing with him, and he pushed the Daily Prophet away, giving his father a very annoyed look.

"Hello, hello, hello," said somebody from behind him suddenly, and James once again turned around quickly, only to find himself staring at the wrinkled Mr. Ollivander. However, thankfully he remembered the reason they were in Ollivander's Wand Shop and stepped right up next to the aged wandmaker.

"Hi, sir," rushed James, "I'm here for my wand."

Mr. Ollivander peered over James's head and gave Mr. Potter a smile. "I take it this is your son, Mr. Potter?"

"That's what my wife tells me," said Mr. Potter, shrugging before he rose from his rickety chair after placing the Daily Prophet back where he had originally found it on the table.

Both men laughed and greeted each other while James stood on his toes, eager to receive his wand. He did not bother to hide his impatience, and while he was sure his mother would have had few things to say about his manners, James did not care. He was here to get his wand after all, not watch some old warlocks greet each other.

After what seemed eternity, Mr. Ollivander turned to him and said, "So, young Mr. Potter, you're here to get your first wand?"

It was a strange way of addressing that he was not at all used to, but James nodded. Mr. Ollivander gave a wave of his own wand, and a tape measure zoomed to his hand from out of nowhere. With another flick, the tape measure soon began measuring James, the length of his arms, the distance between his ears, the depth of his armpits, and so on. It seemed pointless to James, but he said nothing as Mr. Ollivander searched the shelves before pulling out a long thin box.

"Let me see … birch and unicorn hair, ten inches, nice and flexible."

Mr. Ollivander opened the box to reveal the thin wand; James reached into the box and held the wand before lifting it out, waving it. Nothing happened, and Mr. Ollivander snatched it back to put it back in the box. When he said nothing, James could only assume that the birch and unicorn hair wand was not going to be his. There were four other wands like that, wands that Mr. Ollivander would give him and take away just as quickly, but that did not deter James – he was going to find his wand even if he had to try a hundred or a thousand wands. It did not matter; there was a wand out there somewhere just waiting for him, he knew it.

At that moment Mr. Ollivander produced another box and said, "Mahogany with dragon heartstring, eleven inches and pliable. Excellent for Transfiguration, but you can try it out for your own; have a wave."

James took it, feeling the flawless wood slide smoothly against his fingers and filling him with warmth. He twirled the wand in a little figure-eight motion. At once, gold sparks sizzled and popped, leaping out of the tip of the wand and dancing in the air before they disappeared as if signifying the joyful moment of wand and owner uniting.

~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ 1971 ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~ • ~

The huge bank that was Gringotts gleamed in the morning sun. They walked through the golden doors, and upon seeing her first goblin, it took a moment for Lily to hastily change her yelp of fear to a passable cough because there was no doubt about it: that goblin was the weirdest and ugliest creature she had ever met. The goblin's body was the same size as Lily, but his great, domed head was twice as big. The long fingers and feet had enough dirt to make her neat freak of a sister faint, and his pointed teeth came into view as he leered unpleasantly at her.

Lily immediately searched for her mother's hand at the sight, clinging to it as tightly as she could while her mother gave her a comforting squeeze of her hand. Neither Lily nor her mother said anything to the goblin, but his beady black eyes seemed to focus just on her, and Lily found herself glancing back over her shoulder a couple of times just to make sure the goblin was not attacking her.

"You exchange Muggle money here."

Mrs. Prewett led the girls and Lily's mother to a short goblin sitting behind a desk. He did not look much different than the goblin out front, but at least he was not smirking at them like the one outside had been. Mr. Prewett withdrew a key and set off in a different direction, but both Alice and Mrs. Prewett stayed with the Evans family. Alice's own mother stepped forward to catch the goblin's attention, and when the goblin still did not notice her, she cleared her throat loudly to announce herself. Finally, the goblin looked up from his scaling over several curious-looking stones, eyes narrowed.

"We need to exchange some Muggle money," she said clearly.

Looking from Mrs. Prewett, who was so obviously dressed as a witch in her robes, to Lily's mother, who was clearly Muggle from the lack of robes or any magical jewelry such as a flapping butterfly bracelet, the goblin sneered before he leaned over the desk, long fingers curled around the edge.

"How much?" he asked, pointed teeth glaring at them.

Her mother stepped forward, and Lily felt a brief flash of fear for her mother as Mrs. Evans said in a strong voice, "150 pounds."

Lily could not help but admire the way her mother did not flinch the slightest inch as the goblin glared at her and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Muggle".

"Where is the Muggle money?" asked the goblin after a moment of silent deliberation. It was impossible to determine what his tone meant: it may have been reluctant, but it also could have been angry.

Mrs. Evans produced the money from her purse and wordlessly placed it on the desk right in front of the goblin. He peered at her questioningly while he reached out his wrinkly hand for it, only looking down to assess the money with a professional eye. Alice stood quietly beside Lily as the goblin took the money and handed them a bag that rattled with coins. Lily found herself desperate to get away from the goblin, and thankfully her mother took the bag quickly before ushering them away to wait for Mr. Prewett to finish with his errands.

It seemed to take forever, but finally Mr. Prewett finished whatever business he had with the goblins, and the adults led them out of the cool bank and back into the sunlight. Lily gave a sigh of relief as she closed her eyes to breathe in the fresh air, loving the feeling of the sun warming every bit of her exposed skin. Gringotts had been cool and sheltered, but it was impossible to feel relaxed around the goblins. Now, however, she was where she belonged, outside in the bright beams of the early August sun.

"Only thirty minutes at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. We're on a schedule," said Mr. Prewett, checking a strange gold watch on his wrist before leading them away towards the cheery little shop that Alice had pointed out earlier. A colorfully dressed wizard smiled merrily at Alice and waved her forward into the ice cream parlor.

Lily was not sure if Alice heard her father or not because she all but sprinted for the ice cream shop the moment they were free from Gringotts. Assuming that she was meant to follow, Lily quickly hurried after Alice while the parents took their leisurely time with a much slower pace. There was not much of a line yet, so Alice headed straight for the counter where a wizard who could only be Florean Fortescue winked at her.

"How nice to see you again, Ms. Prewett! It's been, what, two weeks since you were last here? I've been missing my favorite customer!" yelled Fortescue in greeting just as Alice reached the counter, Sickles in hand, and Lily was not much further behind.

"Hello there, little lady! Friend of Alice's?" he asked when Lily stopped right beside Alice.

"Yes, sir – my name's Lily Evans," she said. "Are you Florean Fortescue?"

"That I am! But you can just call me Florean," said Florean, wagging a finger at the two girls, and a small giggle escaped Lily. "The usual I presume, Ms. Prewett? And what can I get for you, m'dear?"

"What do you want?" whispered Alice as Lily leaned in close to the clear-covered freezer which contained the various flavors. There were some normal flavors like strawberry and mint, but also ones that Lily had never seen in any Muggle ice cream shop, like the flavors Pumpkin Pasty and Licorice Wand. She wanted to try them all, but it would do no good to carry around an ice cream cone with twenty different scoops of ice cream stacked on top of one another.

In the end she just shrugged, and Alice told Florean, "The same for both of us, Florean."

Florean magicked together some ice cream, and three different scoops (chocolate, peppermint, and vanilla) all soared out of their respective bins and landed together in two separate but neat stacks in enormous waffle cones. As if that was not enough, various toppings flew through the air to top it off: miniature chocolate mice, teeny strawberry balls, and caramel sprinkles all finished with a flamboyant swirl of chocolate sauce. He held a cone out to each of them, and while Alice eagerly accepted hers without a second thought, Lily watched, totally entranced, as the chocolate mice scurried around on top of her ice cream.

By then, their parents had arrived at the parlor, joining them and all ordering something different: Mr. Prewett had a peanut butter sundae topped with cinnamon, and Mrs. Prewett had some frozen yogurt with the same strawberry balls that were on Lily's and Alice's ice cream. Mrs. Evans was just as fascinated with the stranger tastes as Lily had been, so she ended up getting a scoop of Pumpkin Pasty-flavored ice cream with the live chocolate mice. Alice's and Lily's large waffle funnels dwarfed the adults' itty-bitty dishes by a significant amount.

"So, how long have you known about magic?" asked Alice while they both slurped their (as Florean called it) Wacko Witch's Whopping Whammies, though Florean had apparently only named it that after it had recently become an official dish. When Lily had asked about the peculiar name, he had said that Alice had always ordered the same thing every time she had visited Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, and other people had wanted what Alice had sometimes when they could not make up their own minds. Since it was an ice cream that Alice always ordered, Florean had let her name it. It was easy for Lily to tell that Alice was very proud of that little fact by the way she beamed when Florean told the story.

"My friend told me a couple years ago when he saw me using magic in the playground by our house," said Lily as the two girls took a seat overlooking Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop. Lily's mother and Alice's parents, who were currently laughing at the microwaves Mrs. Evans said she often used, sat in the adjacent table, but were too absorbed with discussing the wonders of Muggle technology to contribute much to the girls' conversation.

Lily did not feel like explaining to Alice that even before meeting Severus, she was aware of the strange things that tended to happen around her. It would have been too difficult. Alice probably knew all along what exactly magic was, but Lily never had that luxury until she had met Severus. Before that, all Lily knew was that the subtle influence she held over her surroundings was not normal – and she had nobody to talk to about it either. All talking about it ever accomplished was getting her sent to the school counselor.

"Who's your friend?" asked Alice. Unfortunately for the blond, she had not noticed how close her ice cream was to her mouth, so a large chunk of the peppermint ice cream part of the dessert fell off onto her shirt and then slipped to the ground where it quickly melted in the summer heat, and Alice quietly swore, "In the name of Merlin's pointed hat..."

Lily was about to ask what she meant when she realized that Alice was simply saying it in place of, "In the name of all that's good." It should not have been surprising that Wizarding idioms were so different from Muggle ones, but she was still a little taken aback by Alice's words. Lily had always assumed that witches and wizards had many of the same sayings as non-magic people like her mother.

Mrs. Prewett sighed at her daughter when she noticed what had happened. She gave a flick of her wand, and all the extra-peppermint deliciousness vanished from her blouse instantly along with the ice cream on the pavement. Alice patted her shirt once more to check that her mother had gotten all of the spilt ice cream before looking to Lily and saying, "Sorry, who was your friend again?"

"Severus Snape," answered Lily.

She looked at Alice, hoping to see a sign of recognition, but to her disappointment, there was none. Alice simply shrugged and continued to eat what was left of her ice cream before any more fell off.

"So … is all your family magic?"

Alice nodded and swallowed before answering. "All of them. It sucks when you have to choose which team to support during a Quidditch game. I prefer the Holyhead Harpies, but in my family, just about every team has its own Prewett fan club. What about you?"

Lily shook her head. She had once asked her family to find out if there were any secret witch or wizards in the Evans family, but her lineage was thoroughly non-magical all the way up until she had decided to stop looking when she reached the mid 1800's.

"My family's Muggle all the way."

"Well, thankfully it doesn't make much of a difference. Lots of people come from wizard families, and they still don't know anything, including me. I mean, my parents let me get my wand on my eleventh birthday back in November, but I still have no clue how to do any spells – wait, does the time I managed to light my curtains on fire count?" Lily had no clue, so Alice just continued without waiting for an answer to her question. "Do you have any idea what house you'll be in?"

Shaking her head, she said, "I don't know exactly what their differences are. Severus says I should be in Slytherin. That's the house he wants to be in."

Lily instantly knew she had said something wrong because Alice nearly spit out her ice cream.

After Lily thumped Alice on the back to keep her from choking, Alice gave her a disbelieving stare as she hesitantly whispered, "Uh, how much did you say your friend knew about Hogwarts again?"

Lily stiffened at that her tone.

"What's wrong with wanting to be in a house before you get there?"

There was a moment of awkward silence, and Alice looked like she was struggling to find the right thing to say.

"Well, it's just that most Slytherins … don't like Muggle-borns ..." mumbled Alice until she trailed off into silence.

"But we're all witches and wizards. Why should they like me less?"

Alice looked down uncomfortably as if she wanted nothing more than to switch subjects, but Lily needed to get a straight answer, giving Alice an earnest stare and refusing to let the conversation steer anywhere else. Finally, Alice relented.

"Did your friend ever tell you about the prejudices a lot of pure-bloods and half-bloods have about Muggle-borns and Muggles?" she asked, keeping her eyes firmly trained on some ant crawling across the pavement where her ice cream had fallen.

"You're pure-blood. I don't see any differences between you and me," said Lily.

Alice suddenly shot her head up with a defiant expression of her face, all previous cheerfulness gone.

"I'm one of the few pure-bloods who think that way. Most of the others call people like me and my family blood-traitors because we treat Muggles and Muggle-borns the same way. A lot of the Slytherins are prejudice against people like you. That's why you don't want to be in Slytherin. That's why I was wondering how much your friend knows about the Wizarding World. I mean, come on – if he knows anything about Hogwarts, he knows that Slytherins only accept students into their house who have magical heritage."

Lily was a little taken aback by the unexpected ferocity. She was definitely not expecting sweet Alice to suddenly start ranting about her friend's favorite house. Feeling like this territory would be better discussed after they had known each other for a little bit, she said the first subject changer she could think of.

"But what about the other houses? What do they do?"

Alice's voice softened after she blinked at the new question and said, "Godric Gryffindor was known as the champion of Muggle-borns in his time, so it is extremely rare to find Muggle-born haters in that house. Gryffindor house is known for bravery and chivalry. It's good for when a girl needs help carrying a lot of stuff." – here, Alice laughed – "People say Hufflepuff is just a bunch of dozers, but that's because Hufflepuff isn't as picky about who's in their house. They favor loyalty and friendship. Ravenclaw is the smart house – not that other people aren't smart as well."

"Are you girls just going to sit there talking, or are you planning on getting your things eventually?"

Their parents had stood up and were waiting for Alice and Lily. Both girls had finished their Wacko Witch's Whopping Whammy, but the engaging conversation had left them temporarily forgetful as to why they were in Diagon Alley in the first place. At her mother's reminding words, Lily jumped out of her chair, nearly knocking it over in the process. Thankfully, she caught it before it fell, but Alice was not so lucky; her chair hit the pavement with a loud clang! Alice hastily returned her chair to its original upright position, glancing around to check if anybody else had noticed her momentary mishap, cheeks bright red.

"You girls can go look at the robes." Lily's mother handed her some gold coins which Lily slipped into the pocket on her shorts. "Alice knows good places to go. Meet at Flourish and Blotts in thirty minutes."

She had not been expecting them to break away from each other quite so quickly, but Lily did not mind. As long as she had Alice to guide her through the streets, she was sure it would be fine. Besides, how many times had she wished her parents would let her go somewhere without chaperones? This would be the perfect time to go exploring with only her new friend for company; Mrs. Evans had seemingly made her own friends with Mrs. Prewett, and while Lily was not sure if Alice's mother knew how to swap phone numbers, she would not have been surprised if her mother left for a tea date with Mrs. Prewett in the future.

"We can head to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions," said Alice as she collected a small bag of Galleons from her own parents. She did not appear the least bit concerned that they would be heading out alone. "C'mon, Madam Malkin is super nice to everybody."

Alice and Lily approached the cozy shop as their parents headed off in the opposite direction, and Lily soon realized that, as the title suggested, Madam Malkin's could probably give Lily robes for just about every occasion possible. For the main attraction in the window, the tiny store had a beautiful display of royal blue robes with gold stars while there was also a set of fancier robes that Lily could envision at a wedding as well as hipper, lighter robes of a scarlet red that might have been right for a party. Passing the display, Alice pushed open the old door that was more window than wood, and the bell tinkered.

To Lily's left were racks of plain-colored robes ranging from everyday wear to formal robes worthy of a coronation. To her right were robes with different designs. Madam Malkin sold both men's and women's, though Lily noticed that there was not that much of a difference between most sets of robes. Alice wandered through the shop as well until Lily pointed out a section that said Hogwarts. They both headed over there, but Lily stopped when she noticed a boy and his mother arguing right in front of the Hogwarts robes.

"Mum, please!" pleaded the boy.

With his permanently scrunched face, it was as if he had wrinkled his nose too much and too often: not pleasant, not ugly, but just plain. He was only an inch or so above average height right now, but Lily did not doubt that he would grow taller with age.

"No, Lycoris. Neither your father nor I think that it's acceptable for a boy your age," said a woman who could only be his mother. It was easy to tell that they were related from the same shade of brown hair and the identical scrunched noses.

Alice stiffened beside Lily and quickly tried to lead her behind a rack, furiously whispering in Lily's ear, "Don't say anything. The Mulcibers are one of those families."

Lily knew immediately what Alice meant: they were prejudice pure-bloods. Looking at the two, Lily felt an uneasy feeling crawl along her back, sending shivers through her body. There was not much she knew about defensive magic, and as much as Alice was familiar with the magical world, she doubted they could take on a qualified witch and a boy who looked like he could wrestle a bear; the only other people in the store were a father-and-son pair standing farther away.

Mrs. Mulciber must have noticed the pair try to unsuccessfully avoid her because she turned and sneered at them before they were both able to duck behind another rack of cloaks.

"Alice Prewett. What is a little blood-traitor like you doing here? Disgracing the name of wizard just like your parents?"

At her words, she and Alice turned to face the Mulcibers rather than continuing trying to hide. Mulciber seemed keen once he saw that they were alone, and Mrs. Mulciber was glaring at the two of them. Indignant, Lily opened her mouth to answer, but Alice elbowed her, and with her normally friendly eyes narrowed at the Mulcibers, the tone of her reply was just as icy as Mrs. Mulciber's.

"I don't need to do much. You do plenty already."

Mulciber's eyes widened in shock and anger before he glared at them and hissed, "Don't you dare talk to my mother like that, Prewett."

The mother's hand twitched toward her wand as if she was about to take it out and curse the wandless and inexperienced girls.

Lily saw this and could not stop herself: "Yes, that shows such bravery, hexing two unarmed eleven-year-olds."

It was a stupid thing to say, and Lily wanted to smack herself for letting the words slip out, but it was a little too late for that. The boy took a threatening step towards Lily, but regretful of those words or not, she refused to back down. Thankfully, there was an enormous crowd right outside the window, and she knew that the two could not do much with at least one hundred wizards and witches right outside the shop.

"Nobody asked you. What's your surname anyway?" spat Mulciber at last when he realized that Lily was not flinching away from him.

Alice grabbed Lily's arm protectively.

"Her name's Lily," she said, glaring fiercely at Mulciber.

Mulciber looked like he was going to say something, something likely to be very degrading towards Lily, but he was stopped before he could open his mouth when somebody else spoke from out of the blue.

"You two should leave – now."

The composed but commanding voice appeared to belong to the man she had seen earlier. Apparently, he had seen the disagreement from across the store and decided to interrupt. He stopped a short distance away from the Mulcibers before staring directly at the mother. Although he had spoken calmly, his eyes blazed as if daring the woman to start a fight. A scrawny boy Lily's age stood behind him. Troublemaker was written all over his appearance. Messy black hair stuck up in every direction, and she wondered vaguely if he had ever used a comb – or, for that matter, even knew what a comb was. The boy's attention was focused on the Mulciber's, but he must have noticed Lily staring because he glanced over at her and Alice, suddenly grinning widely. His eyes sparkled with the kind of mischief that urged Lily to check her pockets for any stolen objects.

"You're right. Too many blood-traitors in here for my taste," sneered Mrs. Mulciber. "After all, you were never able to keep from consorting with those Muggles, Fleamont."

Lily felt yet another flare of resentment with the way she said "Muggles", but the woman had already put a hand on her son's shoulder and turned to leave. However, at least Mrs. Mulciber did not get the last word in because the man, whose name must have been Fleamont, laughed a booming laugh that seemed to echo all around.

"I'll take that as a compliment, Lysandra," he said as Lysandra Mulciber pulled the door shut with a loud bang.

A kind woman who had just exited a door to the office hurried forward to Alice and Lily after Mulciber and his mother left.

"Oh, Alice, it's been so long since I've seen you – Hogwarts, I take it?"

Alice nodded.

"Both Lily and I need to get our school robes."

Madam Malkin patted Lily's cheek gently.

"Lovely to meet you, dear. I'm Madam Malkin. If you two can wait just ten seconds, I'm just about finished with James. It's his first year as well," she said, gesturing to the messy haired boy.

"Have a good year, Prewett?" asked James. Lily noticed that, like Mulciber, he addressed Alice by her surname, but unlike Mulciber, there was no trace of contempt, only a lightness to his tone to match the joviality in his eyes.

"I would have, but you stuck a Dungbomb in the bathroom during the Ministry party at my house," said Alice. She was scowling at James, though it was clear she was not actually that angry about the Dungbomb.

"Ah, you know me too well, Prewett. I like to have fun," laughed James, and he ran his hand through his hair, ruffling it to make it look even more windswept than it actually was, which begged the question of whether his hair was messy because he messed it up or if he messed it up because his hair was messy.

James switched his gaze to Lily, sizing her up as well.

"And who's the Firehead?"

"Lily, James; James, Lily," said Alice, stepping aside to introduce them.

Lily gave a smile and a small wave, and James just flashed her a devilish grin before turning to Alice and saying, "Guess we'll finally see who's the better flyer when we get to Hogwarts, won't we, Prewett?"

Alice could not reply as Madame Malkin had just called Lily and Alice over after she said, "There you go, Mr. Potter. You two have a good day now."

Madam Malkin gave them several bundles of robes, tied neatly together with twine, which Mr. Potter took graciously.

"You have a good day as well, Madam Malkin," said Mr. Potter. "James, hurry up now. We still have things to buy."

"Suppose I'll be seeing you around at Hogwarts, eh?" asked James, walking backwards to keep up with his father who was exiting the store. When Alice simply rolled her eyes, he laughed before turning around and hurrying after his father, the door closing behind him with the faint ring of the bell.

"Mrs. Potter is a good friend of my mum's, and Mr. Potter is a really well-known for all the potions he's always inventing – chiefly, Sleekeazy's Hair Potion. They usually go to my family's Ministry parties. Don't give James any Stink Pellets unless you want your clothes full of them," explained Alice quickly.

"Troublemaker?" guessed Lily, glancing back to where he had exited. Not that she had that much experience with troublemakers – her experiences tended to deal with the bullies at school who would continuously tease her and Severus about their "Magic Hog of Warts" and the belief that their acceptance letters would come by owl.

Alice shrugged.

"Not sure if he'll change at Hogwarts, but so far? Definitely."

They left Madame Malkin's in high spirits with their brand new robes under their arm. Lily and Alice spent the rest of the day together even after meeting up again with their parents to continue shopping. Lily had not expected it, but her mother had acquired a bag of her own merchandise. She dearly wanted to ask what it was, but Mrs. Evans would not let her see, so she had no choice but to continue shopping, wondering what a Muggle like her mother would buy in Diagon Alley.

Eventually they came to Eeylops Owl Emporium where Mrs. Evans had agreed to get her a pet to take with her to Hogwarts. Mrs. Prewett had explained to them that owls were the most useful since they could carry mail and all, so the group spread out to look at pets for both girls, but after looking around for a little bit, there was a disturbance that drew Lily's attention. There was a woman towards the back of the store discussing something with an employee behind the counter. Around the woman were several cages of mewling cats, and Lily approached cautiously.

"… think I'm as oblivious as any Muggle, don't you? These cats are half-kneazles, you idiot. They're worth at least twice as much as what you're offering," argued the woman, clearly upset about something. Unlike most of the residents and visitors in Diagon Alley that Lily had seen so far, this woman wore an old-fashioned but clearly Muggle dress rather than the robes, and her brown and grey frizzy hair was tied back with a hairnet that Lily had yet to see on anybody out in public.

The employee looked annoyed.

"Fine," he grumbled. "For each cat that is a half-kneazle, I'll give you eight Galleons. That enough for you, Figgy?"

"Are those cats really kneazles?" asked Lily.

It seemed like a bad idea to interrupt a tense business transaction like the one playing out in front of her, but her curiosity was peaked. Severus had told her about kneazles, but she had never actually seen one up close. The woman named Figgy looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you hear me, girl? I just said that they're half-kneazles. But I s'pose little girls like you don't even know the difference between actual hybrids and hippogriffs. Hmm … you look like somebody who's starting Hogwarts this year. What's your name, girl?"

"Lily Evans, ma'am," answered Lily, feeling slightly intimidated by the batty woman in front of her.

"Don't bother with ma'am, girlie – it's Mrs. Figg to you" said Mrs. Figg dismissively. "If you're looking for a good pet, kneazles and part-kneazles are about as loyal as they come – dead clever, too. I usually bring in cross-breeds like this since a lot of wizards don't want to have to obtain a license to own a pure-bred kneazle. Do you want to take a look?"

Mrs. Figg's attitude was very forward and blunt, but nevertheless, Lily leaned forward to inspect the cats in the cages. They were a lot like the normal domesticated cats she had met in Muggle households, but something about their gaze suggested a keener intelligence than what she normally saw. Among the different cats, a little kitten curled in the back of its cage caught Lily's eye. He was no older than a couple of months old, contemplating her with bright blue eyes that contrasted the sleek black fur.

"What about that one?" asked Lily, pointing to the black cat who jerked his head up at the question, looking to Mrs. Figg hopefully.

Mrs. Figg opened the door, and the kitten hesitantly approached her before Mrs. Figg scooped him up and handed him out to Lily, who took the cat.

"He's a good one, girlie. If you promise to take good care of him, I'll give him to you for only five galleons – a real bargain considering he's actually one-half Egyptian Mau and one-half kneazle."

Lily looked at the cat who was now snuggled in the crook of her arm, imagining the look on Petunia's face when she brought home a black cat of all creatures – having a witch for a sister was bad enough, but having one who flaunted all of Petunia's ridiculously medieval stereotypes? Looking down, she realized just how enticing the opportunity was.

"What's his name?" she asked.

"Doesn't have one yet, and I ain't got all day, girlie. Will you take him or not?" asked Mrs. Figg.

Owls were always the most beneficial to Hogwarts students, and Lily had always considered herself more a dog person, but in the end, after taking a little time to convince her mother, she now found herself the owner of a three-month-old kitten (Alice, however, had gotten an owl) with an appearance to perfectly match all of the feudal, witchy stereotypes Muggles could invent.

Every once in a while, Alice would point out something or someone interesting, like a new invention in a window or a kiosk run by some bumbling, paranoid wizard who tried to convince them to buy amulets to protect against the "darkness that was descending upon them." The display in Quality Quidditch Supplies was barely visible because of number of kids pressing their noses against the glass. Among the crowd was James from Madam Malkin's, but he was too distracted by whatever shiny toy the display held to notice the two of them as they passed.

"They're just staring at the newest model of a broomstick that came out last month. It's a Nimbus 1001, capable of speeds up to 80 miles per hour with excellent turning and precision," explained Alice.

Lily noticed a hint of longing in her eyes; that, plus the worshipful way she talked about the broomstick, led her to believe that Alice coveted one for herself.

As if noticing, she glanced at Lily and went slightly pink.

"Yes, boys are not the only people to obsess with Quidditch," said Alice defensively.

Lily laughed.

"Don't worry, I love football." When Alice's face registered nothing but blank confusion, Lily added, "It's a Muggle sport."

"We still have to get your wand," said Mrs. Evans. She had not been listening to the girl's conversation about racing brooms, instead ticking off the items on Lily's list.

Lily felt her excitement mount swiftly. A magic wand was the number one topic to come up whenever she and Severus talked about the magical world – which was pretty much all the time. A wand was what she was looking forward to more than anything. Once she had a wand, she could use magic, and once she could use magic, she could learn more magic …

"I got my wand for my eleventh birthday back in November," said Alice, and she pulled out a long, shiny strip of wood with twisting handle shaped rather like a vine, turning it over with her fingers to let Lily get a closer look. "Aspen. Eleven and three-quarter inches with unicorn hair. Bendy."

She caressed the wand in her hands.

"You'll want to go to Ollivander's. They're definitely the best; we can meet up in the Leaky Cauldron," said Mr. Prewett, pointing to a shabby shop with a single wand lying on a faded red cloth.

Its peeling letters did not make it stand out from any of the other shops, but regardless, Mrs. Evans steered Lily into the little store. She pushed it open, and like in Madam Malkin's, a little bell rang when the door opened and closed. Lily and her mother entered carefully, and Lily caught her breath as the tingling magic filled the air. There was a small counter to one side, but everything else was covered with row upon row of thin boxes that could only contain wands.

"Good afternoon," somebody said, and Lily jumped as an older man with silver hair appeared between two shelves, peering down at the mother and daughter pair intently.

"Um, hello," said Lily nervously, tucking a lock of her dark red hair behind her ear. "I – I need a wand."

Here, she glanced at her mother who had taken a seat in a rickety old chair, looking just as out of place as Lily felt, though Mrs. Evans handled it with much more dignity than Lily, sitting up straight while assessing the store and the man.

The man took several more steps forward, smiling at Lily.

"Of course that's why you're here. Mr. Ollivander, pleased to make your acquaintance," said Mr. Ollivander, giving her a small bow. He looked expectantly at Lily, who then realized that he waiting for her own name.

"Me? Lily, Lily Evans," she said.

"Enchanted, Ms. Evans," said Mr. Ollivander, and Lily gave a little start at being addressed like that.

However, Mr. Ollivander did not pay attention as he turned and examined the shelved boxes carefully.

"You'll find that the wand chooses the wizard – or, in your case, witch, Ms. Evans. Getting your first wand is much more complicated than shopping for your schoolbooks. One can't simply choose a wand; the wand and witch must complement each other and form a bond. Only with that are we allowed to perform the most complicated of spells."

Lily glanced at her mother, wondering if perhaps she had to perform some hocus-pocus before Ollivander deemed her fit to carry a wand. Lily's mind immediately went to the old books that she and Severus spent hours pouring in their secluded, shaded grove by the creek on the outskirts of Cokeworth. She had never practiced any of the charms, and Severus had assured her that it was much more difficult to do spells without a wand. Was this perhaps a test? If she could perform wandless spells, then she could show enough magic to get a wand? Test difficult things before people make it easier?

"No two Ollivander wands are the same. Each element in the wand points to something about somebody's character. For example, oak symbolizes physical power and protection while mahogany is courage and nobility …" On and on Ollivander went, but Lily was thinking back to what Alice had said.

"Aspen and unicorn hair?" she asked, curious as to what Alice's wand wood meant.

Mr. Ollivander smiled slightly.

"I remember every wand I ever sold, Ms. Evans. I'm assuming that you are inquiring about young Ms. Prewett's wand; she was in here not too long ago. I find that aspen generally performs best with those who are strong-minded, and when there is a match, the magic they create is particularly suited for martial magic and can be exceptional. But enough about that; for now, I need your measurements first," he said, pulling out a tape measure. "Which is your wand hand?"

"Er, I'm right-handed?"

She said it like a question.

Mr. Ollivander withdrew a faded yellow box.

"Holly and dragon heartstring. Ten inches. Unyielding."

Lily had barely taken the wand before it was snatched from her hand.

"No, no, that's not right. Perhaps this one? Mahogany and phoenix feather, seven and a half inches. Brittle." Again, Mr. Ollivander had let Lily hold it for less than a second. On and on the process went. The pile grew, but that did not seem to deter Mr. Ollivander. He just got more excited the more wands Lily tried and failed to use.

"Ah, I think this would be a good match." He pulled out a light blue box and showed it to Lily. "Ten and a quarter inches with a single phoenix feather. Swishy, made of willow. Excellent for charm work."

Inside was a lightly colored wand with beautiful flowers and leaves etched into a vine-like pattern that curled and twisted to the tip of the wand. The thicker portion of the wand served as a handle, but Lily was entranced by the delicate design. Others had been personalized, but not like this.

He handed Lily the wand, and sudden warmth spread to her fingers when she took it. Silver and white sparks sailed happily from the tip of the wand, and Lily smiled in her thrilling triumph while her mother beamed with pride. Mr. Ollivander did not have to tell her anything, she already knew: this was not just a wand.

This was Lily's wand.

"I think the wand has just chosen the witch," said Mr. Ollivander, smiling down at Lily – he no doubt had seen the same scene hundreds of times before.

Though it took a little bit for her mother to figure out the wizard money, Mrs. Evans was able to give Mr. Ollivander the correct amount of money before hurrying Lily out of the store with her new wand.

The sky was several shades darker than when they had first started out, but Mrs. Evans expertly maneuvered around the thinning crowd while Lily followed, keeping a tight hold on her mother's hand. It did not take long to reach the Leaky Cauldron, where Alice and her parents were already waiting for them. Mrs. Evans and Lily quickly took their seats while the waitress gave them their food. (Lily was not surprised that her mother had taken the time to write down their supper choices for the Prewetts to order while they themselves shopped at Ollivander's.)

Both of their mothers barely paid any attention to their food. Mrs. Prewett was telling Lily's mother about several recipes that many witches and wizards used. Lily's mother was particularly interested in Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans and the number of flavors and wondered if she might cook some of the other entrées they discussed, though Lily knew Petunia would never stand for magic food.

Alice and Lily talked about Hogwarts while they munched. So far the two had brought up just about every topic discussable about Hogwarts, everything from class periods to Peeves the poltergeist. While Lily had heard the same things from Severus, it was extremely noticeable that Alice and Severus had very different points of view on things, such as the Inter-House Quidditch Cup which had taken place last school year. While Severus had always said that the Slytherins had won because their Keeper and Seeker were both superb, Alice had informed Lily that the Slytherins had won through jinxes and uncaught fouls. It was that way with many subjects, and now the issue was houses.

"About half of my family has been in Ravenclaw. Both my mother and grandfather were in Gryffindor. I'm aiming to be in Gryffindor, but I bet my father would be prouder if I was in Ravenclaw. My Gran was in Hufflepuff, so I could be in any of those houses."

Lily had been smart enough not to mention Severus and Slytherin again, so she settled on the possibilities of all houses.

"Does it usually run in families?" she asked, tasting her Merpeople's Meatballs, which were quite good.

Alice shook her head and speared a piece of ham with her fork.

"Usually, but not always. Andromeda Black is probably the most mild-tempered Slytherin. All her family has been in Slytherin, but she's dating a Muggle-born in Hufflepuff – but don't tell her family that! They'll disown her for less; if you ask me, she would be better in a different house. The Blacks are one of the most prejudice families out there, and they're related to just about every pure-blood there is."

"Even you?" asked Lily, surprised.

Alice scrunched her face. "As a matter of fact, yeah. Lucretia Black became my aunt by her marriage to my uncle Ignatius. She still married another pure-blood, but she's not like her other siblings, thank Merlin. Her brother Orion married their second cousin, Walburga Black, and they're about as traditionalist as they come. The entire House of Black has always been in Slytherin."

Lily twirled her fork in her mashed potatoes thoughtfully. "I wish I knew which house I'll be in."

"Nobody knows until they get there. I'm betting Gryffindor for you. Anyone who is brave enough to stand up to a bigot like Lysandra Mulciber at the age of eleven and not back down has certainly proved her bravery."

"Or stupidity," said Lily, and Alice laughed.

"Time to leave, Lily," said Mrs. Evans. Her mother had just finished saying good-bye to Mrs. Prewett, and all their plates were scraped clean while Lily's packages of school things sat in a pile to her left with her new cat perched on top – he was looking expectantly towards Lily as if begging for food, so when nobody was looking, Lily poked her last meatball through the bars of the cage, which the little kitten instantly pounced on, gobbling it down in two bites that were quite large considering the cat's small size.

Alice hugged Lily good-bye as she stood up to leave with her parents. "See you at Hogwarts, Lily!"

Smiling and wondering how on earth she could have possibly been wary of Alice when they first met, Lily grabbed her mother's arm to step into the green fire that Mr. Prewett had been kind enough to throw some Floo Powder into, and before she knew it, Lily was zooming back to her thoroughly Muggle home.


Note: Lily got a cat instead of an owl because I decided to put the Potters' cat in the story at the beginning instead of later on.

I do hope you lovely readers don't mind that I changed Lily and James's initial meeting, but I just liked the idea of their younger selves meeting at least once before the arguments and all that fun jazz started.