September 1, 1976

The workers of Kings Cross Station knew September 1st to be one of the most interesting days of the year. No one knew why, but strange things always happened. An influx of hooting owls in cages, people in strange cloaks, strange questions about platforms that didn't exist, it was a day each employee either loved or hated.

On that day in that place, the muggle and wizarding worlds interacted more than they did on any other day in any other place - not that the muggles realized what was happening. No, they just thought it was an odd day at work. It was the day hundreds of wizarding parents dropped off their children for another year of magical education at Hogwarts.

The ritual was a little different for one Hogwarts student this year. Lily Evans, a redheaded 6th year usually had both of her parents there to see her off, but the summer hadn't gone as Lily had expected. She said a hurried goodbye to her mum and rushed to the train avoiding being seen without her father, eager to see her friends and return to her version of normal at school. She didn't want to deal with reality. She couldn't. There was too much pain, and she couldn't lose control now. She knew she wouldn't survive if she did.