Lily POV
On the morning of her birthday, Lily woke late to the sound of her door opening, hurried footsteps, and then something huge landing on her bed and shrieking in a sound she hoped was joy.
Lily's eyes snapped open and she was wide awake instantly. Tuney crouched there on her bed, holding a brightly colored, wrapped present. "Open it, Lily! This one's from me!"
Petunia handed it over and Lily tore it open eagerly. Inside was a box. Lily lifted the lid, and found a fluffy light brown bear about the length of her forearm, and a tiny jewelry box.
Stroking the bears soft fur, Lily opened the jewelry and found a gold necklace with an intricate patterned pendant. It was small and she didn't know what it was, but it was pretty. Tuney was watching her wide eyed, expectant and excited.
Lily gaped at the necklace. It was so pretty! She'd never take it off. Then she put it on, and hugged her sister. "It's so beautiful! You shouldn't have though, Tuney. It must have cost a lot."
"It did," Petunia shrugged. "It's the symbol for sisters." She pulled one out from under her shirt. "See, I have one too! I love you, Lily!" She hugged her and Lily was fighting tears, knowing that soon, things would change a lot and that things would be different between them too. She hoped the changes would bring them closer, but she doubted it. "I don't know… I just felt that I should get it soon, before I couldn't."
"What do you mean?" Lily bit her lip.
"I don't know, Lily. It's just a bad feeling I had. I felt like if I didn't give it to you now, I might not have a chance, and I'd regret not giving it to you." She smiled though, and Lily tried to fake one too.
"Come on downstairs, Lily," she said grabbing her little sister's hand and pulling her toward the door. "We made pancakes!" Just like that Lily's worries disappeared. Nothing could distract her like pancakes and syrup.
The day passed by way too quickly. Lily got all sorts of present, but the one she was awaiting the most eagerly didn't show up. Noon, and still no letter had her gnawing her nails to the elbow. Three o'clock came and went. Four. Five. Six. Still no owl.
When Severus finally called to wish her a happy birthday and inquire about the you-know-what she was ready to burst into tears. "Severus! It isn't here! The letter hasn't come! What if it doesn't –,"
He scoffed, telling her that it would definitely come. Of course she would be going to Hogwarts. Maybe she had been overlooked. They would get it all sorted out. Severus would see to it, if she didn't get her letter tonight.
"Oh Severus…!" she sobbed. It was eight thirty and she was now thoroughly convinced it wasn't coming. "I knew it. I knew it was too good to be true!"
She would never see Hogwarts, or meet great witches and wizards. She wouldn't ever fight a dragon, or brew a potion.
When she went to bed, she was surprised that Petunia fallowed her. "Come on, little sister. You're all blotchy. Let's get you fixed up, and I'll sleep with you tonight, okay?"
Lily tried to smile but it was more of a grimace. She was truly more grateful then she could say that Tuney would be sleeping with her. They had always been close – the kind of sisters that came into each other's rooms in the night to check on the other, and they slept together during storms – the only thing that truly frightened Petunia. It was always Tuney comforting Lily. When Grandma died, her big sister had crawled into her bed in the middle of the night and snuggled up against her, telling her it would all be okay when they woke up and the sun was shining.
Murmuring comforts to her, Petunia soaked a warm cloth and wiped it over Lily's face. "Come on, let's go to sleep. I'm here, and I love you, little sister."
And things almost seemed okay, but not for long.
When she woke up, she opened her blurry eyes and grinned. Petunia was sprawled out on the bed, taking up most of the room and Lily was crunched up in the top corned. She didn't mind though. The bear was clutched in her arms and she didn't even remember falling asleep with it. Stroking it's soft fur, she suddenly realized what had woken her. The noise came again.
Footsteps downstairs. They weren't very loud and she was surprised she'd even heard them. It was strange though, because her parents always slept in and Tuney was still sleeping beside her.
So, if it wasn't Tuney, and it wasn't their parents, who was it? Sliding out of bed, she looked around quickly and found the baseball bat her father had tried teaching her how to use a while ago. It hadn't worked very well, but she went over and grabbed it now, slightly less scared.
Should she wake Tuney? No. As much as she wanted to, it might put her sister in danger.
Lily Evans wasn't the type of girl to be frightened over a couple footsteps. She scoffed, and opened the door, going quickly through the hall and down the stairs. Then she paused to listen. It was coming from the kitchen. Her eyes widened in shock and she tiptoed over to the door and peered through the open crack.
What she saw froze her in place. Her jaw dropped, her eyes widened in astonishment and she dropped the bat she was holding. In the kitchen, preparing herself a coffee was a really tall, extremely skinny woman, with brown hair in a tight bun. She was wearing some sort of black robe, and the woman definitely had no business being in Lily's house. The woman turned around when she heard the bat hit the ground. She was a kind looking woman, in a sort of extremely strict way. Lily doubted she'd ever smiled. She looked around thirty.
No use hiding now, Lily thought, shoving the door open and walking in.
"Hello. Are you Lily Evans?" She had a no nonsense voice and she looked at Lily in a way that made her think the other woman was peering directly into her soul.
"Yes, I am." She looked her in the eye defiantly, but not without respect. "Who, might I ask, are you? And why are you in my house?"
"Why, because I came to talk to you of course. My name is Professor McGonagall and I am the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts."
Muggles? Hogwarts! Was this really happening? Excitement coursed through her.
"For future reference, knock first. Or ring the doorbell. Muggles don't take well to waking up and finding strangers in their houses. I could have hit you with the bat!"
The elderly woman looked at her with an amused glint in her eyes, over the rim of her glasses. "Indeed you could have. You know what a muggle is?"
"Yep," said Lily eagerly. "I know all about Hogwarts too!" The enthusiasm couldn't be hidden.
"Oh my," the woman put a hand over her heart. "How did you learn about us?"
Lily bit her lip, and said nothing. No way was she going to drag Severus into this.
"I see," she said hesitantly. "How much do your parents know?"
"Nothing," Lily grinned, abashedly. "I didn't know how to tell them."
"I often find, Mss. Evans, that straight forwardness is normally the best route to take when explaining a hard truth. Go wake them up, and we will all talk." With that, Lily found herself casually dismissed from her own kitchen. With a boggled, lingering expression at the woman sitting at her table drinking a coffee like she owned the place, Lily went off to do as she was told.
"Mother, mother!" she shrieked, taking the stairs three at a time. "Father, Tuney! Wake up and come down stairs! It's important! Hurry up!" She had meant to be more dignified but found that she just couldn't manage it currently.
There were angry mutters and then running footsteps. They probably thought there was an emergency or something and she felt a bit guilty when she saw their barely awake faces. After all, it was barely six in the morning.
But she was going to Hogwarts and that was all that mattered!
"What is it?" asked her mom angrily. "What's wrong?"
"There's someone in the kitchen who needs to talk to us."
Her mother and father exchanged looks and her dad stepped forward, picked up the bat she had dropped earlier and warily stepped into the room. Lily's mom and Petunia waited outside the room, peering in, while Lily impatiently fallowed him, in a sort of skipping motion.
Her dad looked at Professor McGonagall blankly. "Who are you? How'd you get into my house?"
She regarded him sternly. "I am Professor McGonagall. I teach Transfiguration at Hogwarts." She said it as one might comment on the weather. "As for how I came to be in your house, I used an unlocking spell on your door and simply came in. I helped myself to a coffee. It's one of the rare muggle inventions that I like. Witches don't drink much coffee, you know. I hope you don't mind. It is after all, the height of rudeness not to offer refreshments to guests, especially when they bring such amazing news."
"What are you talking about?"
She sighed, irritated. "Isn't it obvious? No, well I guess your ignorance can be excused. Muggles don't see very much. I am a witch. Hogwarts is the finest school for witches and wizards in the world. Lily Evans has been accepted to start there on September the first."
Everyone except Lily looked at her stupidly for a minute. Two minutes. Lily felt terribly awkward but McGonagall merely sipped her coffee, looking around the room contentedly. "Would you mind me asking," she said politely. "How you get your pictures to stand still? It's truly remarkable."
Lily's dad started sputtering. "Get – get them to stay still? What else would they do woman?"
"Oh, I see that that must be a normal thing for muggles? Am I right?" she didn't wait for an answer though. She seemed kind of grumpy. "Well, girl, it's about time you read your letter." She handed her an envelope and Lily tore at it eagerly, barely even glancing at the seal.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
There was a second page on the back that said;
HOGWARTS SCHOOL
of WHICHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
UNIFORM
First-year students will require:
sets of plain work robes (black)
plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.
COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1)
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 Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection
by Quentin Trimble
OTHER EQUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales
Students may also bring and owl OR a cat OR a toad AND a broom.
While she read, she vaguely heard McGonagall explaining to her mom and dad. Petunia just stood there, her face drained of all color, still as a statue. When McGonagall finished speaking Tuney looked like she was going to cry for some reason.
"What about me? Can I go? Am I a witch too?"
McGonagall looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry, but no. You aren't a witch, and you're too old. Students start Hogwarts the summer when they are eleven. No muggles. No exceptions. I know these kinds of things are hard sometimes, but you will no doubt have some interactions with the wizard world. Your sister is a part of it now and you will be able to attend certain functions as long as she is with you and you abide by our rules."
"Certain functions? But not all of them?" Her eyes became clouded with anger. "I don't want to! Why would I want to go hang out with a bunch of freaks like her? All magical people are freaks! Every single one of them."
"Tuney," whispered Lily, taken aback. What was she talking about? "You can't mean –,"
"I do!" Petunia insisted, "I always knew you were a freak! Unnatural!
"Petunia!" warned their mother. "Apologize to your sister and there will be no more talk of freaks here."
"So you believe me then?" Asked McGonagall surprised. "Normally it takes a lot more convincing with the muggle families."
"Well," said her father. "I hope you won't be insulted if we ask for proof. This is all rather hard to believe, as you can imagine."
"Not at all," her eyes lit up. "This is the most fun part. Hmm, how shall I convince you? What wondrous feat of magic would you have me preform?"
Lily's mom bit her lip. It was something both she and her daughters did when they were thinking. "What can you do?"
"Almost anything," the woman said proudly.
"Can you bring back the dead."
"Not that. No one has the power to bring back the dead." She looked right at Lily as she said it. "Remember that because if you ever try, the consequences are severe."
"I wouldn't try," Lily said horrified. "God says that the dead belong among the dead, not the living."
"Who?" asked McGonagall blankly.
"Blimey! You've got to be kidding me!" exclaimed her dad.
"He's like the muggle Merlin… kinda. He made the world and everything in it. He controls everything. Sort of like a really powerful ghost u can't see. Um, he's a good guy and, well, ya that's all."
McGonagall shrugged and turned back expectantly to the mother. "Well?"
"I don't know. Do whatever you're best at."
McGonagall grinned impishly and then she disappeared and in her place stood a speckly cat. Lily gasped in delight and her parents jumped up. Petunia looked like she was about to faint. An Animagus! Lily had read a tiny bit about them.
After a moment, McGonagall changed back.
"I apologize for being late. I was supposed to come yesterday on your birthday, but I had something urgent I had to attend to for the school. Mss. Evans, on the back of your letter you will see a list of everything you will need for your first year at Hogwarts." She handed over a bag of coins. "This is wizarding money. It's enough for you to buy everything you need and perhaps a little something extra if you wish. You will have to use this money wisely but should you need more, and have a good reason, you may approach Headmaster Dumbledore or myself and we will give you more. This will continue until you turn eighteen, and then you will be expected to work for your money just like in the muggle world. You can buy everything on that list in a place in Diagon Alley in London. I'm assuming," she looked sternly down at Lily, "That whoever it is that told you about the wizard world would take you there?"
"Yes Professor," she said, seeing her parents look down at her in dismay. She winced, seeing how betrayed they looked.
"What is she talking about Lily? You knew, and you didn't tell us? Why?"
"Because I didn't know how to make you believe me," she said in a small voice. "I thought you'd think I was crazy and I can't control the magic, so I had no way to prove it."
"Who's this person who told you?" her mum asked.
Lily glanced up at McGonagall. "You aren't going to get the person in trouble are you? He's had a hard time and was just trying to help me. My magic was putting people in danger when I didn't know what I was doing."
"Well, there is no helping that he has told you now, so no; he won't get in any trouble."
Lily nodded acceptingly. "Mum, you know Severus Snape? He's a wizard. He told me years ago." Then she told them all about Mark and Carl's attack and the years fallowing.
When she finished her parents didn't look angry anymore. "Oh honey, you didn't have to lie to us. We would have believed you. There were a bunch of signs. Weird things that kept happening that none of us understood."
"Well," announced McGonagall standing, "I must be going. I imagine you all have a lot to talk about, and I have Hogwarts business to take care of. I look forward to teaching you, Mss. Evans. You must be taken to the train station on September first. The train leaves at exactly eleven o'clock. If you're late, it will not wait. Here is your train ticket."
Lily read what the ticket said and looked up in surprise, "But this says platform 9 3/4 . That can't be right. There is no such thing…" but the witch was gone and her parents were just as confused as she was.