-4-

"…and that's how we mark the centre-a single red spot, mind you, not more, not less. Don't go overboard with great blotches. Now…Miss Evans?"

I snapped to attention. Mr. Walter looked sternly at me. "Not daydreaming again, I hope?"

Rising gingerly, I looked down upon the sea of faces in the classroom and blushed. I had indeed let my mind wander-as usual-to the woods and an unplanned trip to the darker regions. I was tired of the same rocky riverbank, the same flowers and the same willows. It would be nice to venture into unexplored territories…

Mr. Walter rapped the ruler, annoyed, on the desk. "Ah, Lily, Lily. I've taught at this school for fifteen years. You are the only person whom I haven't been able to knock sense into. Just a little more attention in class, you've the smarts too….."

Blah, blah, blah. His voice droned on. I nodded along for a while, then gradually lost interest-especially because I knew the lines he'd take-how illustrious, industrious, intelligent and informative my sister was, why couldn't I be like her, my parents' expectations and his as well.

Outside, a warbler flitted before the frosted glass. Somewhere, a gramophone was playing.

"Happy birthday!"

I rubbed my eyes blearily and looked at Petunia. She grinned at me. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead. We can't wait to see what you got-well obviously I know what I gave-but the others…"

The floor felt like frost when I slipped out from my bed. It was too cold, cold even for January. The sky was overcast….definitely not my favorite birthday weather. As I made my way downstairs I felt like I was treading on ice.

The table in the living room was awash in presents and flowers. Bulky packages wrapped in shiny gift-paper, greetings and hothouse bouquets almost blinded me.

Maman and Father were waiting too. "Happy Birthday! Oh my, our baby's eleven! Lily, Lily, lovely Lily," Maman crooned as she planted a kiss on my forehead.

"Let's see what I got," I exclaimed, excitedly, pulling out some packages from the mound on the table. Motioning to Petunia to follow me upstairs, I ran to my room.

I had had a seriously good haul that year. Bypassing the more boring gifts from well-wishing aunts (read money, girly dresses…) I snatched at a package I knew to be from our neighbor, the kind, stout, Mr. Slughorn . I did not know him that much, save he liked tinned pineapple, always wore weirdly flamboyant robes and had a job in a faraway city where he stayed most of his time-except sometime in the August-September stretch. When he returned for the holidays to his place (his wife had died five years back) he often paid us visits, a Santa full of goodwill (and without that beard). He had especially taken a liking to me and sat with me for a long time, asking about my likes, my dislikes and school. "Your eyes have magic about them, Lily," he'd say. This came to my mind now as I ripped open his package. Sure, I thought, he wasn't all wrong there.

"Hey!" Petunia exclaimed with delight as I took out his present, a glass ball. "He's sent you a crystal ball for Astrology!" She got up and ran downstairs to tell Maman. Typical.

But it wasn't really a crystal ball. When I set my eye upon the glass, I saw, strangely enough what looked like planets, stars and constellations, within the ball. They were rotating slowly amidst a cloud of stars; the closest I had ever seen something like it was a snow dome.

Petunia came running back to the room, "Well, Maman says…."

She stopped dead in her tracks, goggling at the ball.

"As you can see, he's not interested in Astrology like you," I said holding up the ball towards the light, so she could clearly see the stars. "More astronomy, if you ask me."

"He- he gave you that?" Petunia exclaimed.

"Yup."

"He must be really rich!" she giggled nervously.

I nodded and resumed opening the packages. A green, leather-backed diary from Father. A rather nice pair of ballerinas from Maman-'dressy-up' shoes, I thought. An exquisite porcelain unicorn from Petunia (Ha-ha). A whole box of chocolates with crunchy fillings (YUM!) from Granny and Grandpaw. Birthday cards from classmates Sofia and Jess. And of course, a large chocolate cake dripping with dark icing…heaven.

"What a loot, pirate Evans," I grinned as I set to work.

The woods are bewitching at this time of the year, light ice lining the slender boughs. Even four months before, when the first miracle had happened…it had been a green world. Now it was turning wintry white, soft brown…the shades of winter.

"You shouldn't come here," Petunia protested as both of us trudged up the path, our breathing visible in cloudy puffs. "It's dangerous, there may be wild creatures….."

I grinned in reply. I had, with Herculean patience, convinced Petunia in accompanying me to the woods just before daybreak. It was bone-jarringly chilly, but I had an objective in mind and there was no letting go of my sister now.

After a long self-conference, I had decided to tell Petunia about my special abilities. It only seemed right. She was my sister, for heaven's sake…how long would I keep a secret as heavy as this one? Besides she was the elder of us two… surely she could give a logical reason for it, right?

We reached the brook, which had started to freeze now. Petunia looked hesitantly around her. "Where are we?" she asked nervously.

"Welcome to my world," I smiled. I had rehearsed this moment a long time in my mind-unfolding the secret to my elder sister. "Now listen, sister, I have something to tell you,"- why was I feeling so nervous?-"…This is a little, well, odd but you know I'm-um-I'm not like you and Maman and Father. Or anyone we know, for that matter."

"Lily-what the heck's going on?" Petunia asked, annoyed. "What are you talking about?"

I didn't say anything. Simply rose my palm, clenched my fist and concentrated. This time it was much faster.

In all the years that have passed I have seen nothing like the expression on Petunia's face when I unfolded my fingers, revealing the lily on my palm. She gasped, cupped her hands with her fingers, and stared stupidly-and who could blame her-at my palm.

"You see," I said. "I think it's magic."

And then. Then it happened. The beginning of my new life. (Well not exactly. The beginning would come at the breakfast table a week later. But it was certainly the end of my old life.)

Petunia's face became dark with anger and jealousy. "How'd you do that?" she asked softly.

"I told you, I think it's ma…."

SLAP! She smacked my palm, wrenching off the lily, her face livid with anger. "YOU'RE A FREAK!" she screamed. "I'LL TELL MAMAN! I'LL TELL EVERYBODY, YOU EVIL LITTLE THING! HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU!"

Scared, I retreated a step. "But Petunia….."

"I knew it," she snarled. "I tried to tell them. They wouldn't believe me. But now they will. They'll have to."

I turned my back on her and ran. Not because I was scared but because I didn't want my parents to find me-if she indeed told them.

"WHERE'RE YOU GOING?" she cried, chasing me. "LILY! COME BACK! YOU FREAK, COME BACK AT ONCE!"

A movement behind the trees. Both of us stopped, taken aback. Someone stepped out from behind a tall willow.

"There's no coming back, now. She is where she belongs."

Petunia stepped back scared. But I wasn't. "Severus!" I cried. "I haven't seen you for days!"

He looked at me and smiled. "I was away, Lily."

"Oh, so you're Lily's freakish friend, right?" Petunia asked.

"Yes. I'm Severus Snape," Sev said, bending over and pulling a blade of grass from the ground.

"How can you bear with her?" Petunia said. "Do you know she's a FREAK?! She knows magic! She's abnormal!"

Severus gingerly pressed the blades of grass between his fingers. I looked anxiously at him for his answer.

"Well." he said finally. "If knowing magic is freakish, then I guess I…."

He didn't say anything else, only released the blades held in place by his fingers. To Petunia's amazement-and mine-the blades flitted through the air-like butterflies-coming to rest upon my palm slowly.

Petunia gave a scream and fled. I gazed after her retreating figure till she vanished, then turned slowly and faced my friend.

"If knowing magic is freakish, then I guess I'm a freak too," he said, grinning at me.

I grinned back. "You're welcome, Sev."