Ginny Potter bustled about her home, making sure that her two sons trunks were packed. Albus would be going for his second year, and James would be going for his third.
And Lily would be going for her first, a voice in the back of her head whispered.
Shut up! Ginny told the voice
Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness dearie, the voice said.
Ginny scowled. She heard laughter in her head.
Stupid voice!
"Ginny? Harry? Could you come down here please?" a voice called.
Ginny walked down the stairs and saw Hermione and Neville standing in the hallway.
"Hermione! Neville! What are you doing here?" Ginny asked.
"We have something to tell you and Harry," Hermione said. She seemed nervous.
"What do you need to tell us?" Harry asked, coming in from the kitchen.
"Ummm…can we sit down?" Hermione asked.
Ginny nodded and led the way into the living room. Neville and Hermione took the two armchairs and Ginny and Harry sat on the couch.
"What is it Hermione?" Harry asked.
"Well," Neville said, "the a few weeks ago I was doing my rounds, informing muggleborns, you know the usual, when I found a girl living in an orphanage about ten miles away. She looked exactly like Ginny did right when she started Hogwarts."
Ginny and Harry looked surprise, and a little bit confused.
"She was wearing a charm bracelet, exactly like the one Lily was known to be wearing when she disappeared. She matron of the orphanage also said she was found the mooring of August 14th," Neville said.
"The day after Lily disappeared," Ginny whispered, realizing where this was going.
"Her name is Lily Flower, named for the words on one of her charms," neville continued.
"Our Lily Flower," Ginny and Harry said together.
Hermione nodded.
"So, Neville brought her too me, and I did a DNA test on her," Hermione said.
"Is that why James randomly pricked our arms for our blood a last week?" Ginny asked.
"Yes. I could' tell you unless it wasn't her. I got the results back an hour ago, and it turns out, it is Lily," Hermione said.
Ginny and Harry only stared at Hermione.
"Are you sure Hermione?" Ginny asked.
"I was positive the moment I saw her, she looks so much like you. The DNA test was only to make absolutely sure," Hermione replied.
"Where is she now?" Harry asked.
"Still in the orphanage. We figured it would be easier for her to go straight to school, and than amok arrangment if she wants to live here," Neville said.
"Who else knows?" Ginny asked.
"Hermione and I, Bill, because we ran into him in Madam Malkins, Scorpius, Rose, and Albus, for the same reason, and a few other like Parvati and Mr. Ollivander who we ran into in Diagon Alley," Neville said.
"Does Lily know?" Harry asked.
"I wrote her a letter as soon as we knew. I also made sure that she read that biography, so she knew about Voldmemort and everything else," Neville said.
Harry and Ginny asked a lot of other questions about their daughter. As Neville and Hermione were leaving, Ginny asked them to tell the rest of the family for them.
"Of course Ginny. By tomorrow, all of the cousins will know about Lily," Hermione said.
After they left, Ginny and Harry stood in the hall for a few minutes just holding each other. Than Ginny voiced the question that was on both of their minds.
"How are we going to tell James and Albus?"
The next day, the Potters arrived at Kings Cross Station at 10:30. They bustled to the 'meeting spot' as the kids have dubbed it, where every year all the Weasley/Potter/Lupin/Longbottom/Dursley clan met up before boarding the Hogwarts Express. This year, all of the families met there early. The Potters arrived second to last, George and his family arriving only a few minutes after them.
Hugo and Roxanne quickly started talking about how they would be sorted into Gryffindor. All of the family, every single one of them were in Gryffindor.
"Oh, I think you'll be sorted into Hufflepuff," James said to Hugo.
"Yeah, and Roxy will be in Slytherin I think," added his best friend Fred II.
"Now Lorcan, Lysander, I want you to look after Daisy," Dudley Durlsey said to his two sons, both Gyffindor fourth years, while Luna hugged Daisy goodbye.
"Have fun as a second year," Luna said. "Watch out for the Wrackspurts. They'll get into your head and cause you to not pay attention to your classes."
"Are you sure the train leaves from platform 9?" a sharp voice said from further up the platform.
"Yes Madam Smith. Platform nine and-platform nine," said another voice. This one was softer, and seemed to belong to somebody young and innocent.
The clan turned around and saw a sever looking woman with her gray hair up in a tight bun, a long dress with a high collar, and standing next to a young girl. The girl had porcelain skin, fiery red hair, and a dusting of freckles across her button nose and cheeks. Her chocolate brown eyes were shining with amusement, and her lips were presses together in an effort not to laugh. As soon as the clan saw her, their mouths fell open. It was Lily!
"Yes. Well, as soon as you arrive, give the head of the school this letter from me. I want to the school to know that I approve of punishment. A good hard caning, a few days with no food, those are the things that make a child behave. For instance, that time I found you on the roof of the home, I gave you four days locked in your room with no food. And did you ever climb buildings again?" the woman asked.
The Weasley clan bristled. One of their own being treated like the woman was talking about, even if the Weasley hadn't known they were a Weasley, caused the Weasley overprotectiveness to go into overdrive. Harry winced as he was forcefully reminded of his own childhood.
"No Madam Smith, I never climbed a building again," Lily said. "Now, Madam Smith, the train doesn't leave for another twenty minutes. I wouldn't want to take away any time that you could use to be doing your makeup. You really do need it."
"Oh how thoughtful of you. That is what a good beating can do. It creates good manners. I don't want one letter from the head, do you hear me?" Madam Smith said as she walked away.
"Yes, don't forget to use the extra time for makeup!" Lily called after her.
"I think I like her!" James and Fred said.
Lily smiled to herself in amusement and looked at a piece of parchment in her hand. She slowly walked towards the barrier as she read over the parchment.
"Run straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. You must believe you will go through to be able to go through. From there board the train. If all else fails, look for a family with an owl," the Weasley clan heard Lily mutter. Lily frowned at the parchment and then looked around. She saw the Weasley clan and started forwards.
"Hello Ms. Hermione!" Lily said. "And you're Rose, Albus, and Scorpius. We met in Madam Malkins. I don't know the rest of you. I have heard of you though. Professor Longbottom gave me a book to read. He's very nice. He gave me an owl because it was my birthday and bought me an ice cream cone. It was my first ever birthday treat! I think finding out I wouldn't have to live at that nasty old orphanage where they beat you every night was the best birthday present I could ask for. Professor Longbottom told me all about Hogwarts. Is there really a sport called Quidditch? Are there really four houses? What house are you in? Professor Longbottom said you were in Gryffindor. I don't think I'm cut out to be a Gryffindor. I'm not very brave."
Lily said all of this in one breath.
"What?" Hugo asked.
"I said that I don't think I'll be in Gryffindor. Maybe Ravenclaw. Would you all stop looking at me like that? You look like a bunch of fish," Lily said.
"Sorry," George said. "It's just that you look a lot like your mother."
"I don't remember you talking this much when I first met you," Hermione said. It was true. Lily hardly said three words that day.
"Oh, I was in shock. You know, finding out I'm a witch. I was still processing everything," Lily said.
Suddenly, Ginny wrapped Lily up in a hug.
Lily hesitated, and then hugged her back. Lily had decided that she would pretend to think that she had been kidnapped. After all, having a famous family could get her high up. Can't go severing those ties.
Soon, the entire family was in one big hug centered around Lily. Lily fought to remain hateful towards her family. At the very least her parents, but try as she might, she had been hoping for a loving family to hug her her whole life, and now these people were giving that to her. Against her will, she smiled.
"Would you like us to write to the orphanage and officially adopt you?" Ginny asked her daughter later.
Lily thought about that. She had no desire to be with her parents. They had abandoned her. She did, however, want to be out of the orphanage, away from Madam Smith. She didn't want to leave Polly though. Polly was a little nine year old, who was like Lily. Now that Lily knew about accidental magic, she guessed that Polly was also a witch. But having a family, and a famous one with connections at that, would help her find her place in the wizarding world.
"There's a girl, at the orphanage, her name's Polly, I think she's a witch too. I take care of her, comfort her whenever Madam Smith beats her. I want to be with you, but I can't leave her," Lily said.
"Why don't we adopt this Polly too. We have room for one more," Harry said.
Lily smiled her most winning smile. It seems as if she's won them over all ready. Perfect.
The scarlet train whistle blew, and Ginny ushered Lily onto the train.
"Be good! Write whenever you need anything! Come home for Christmas holidays!" Ginny called after Lily and her other children. Once the platform was out of sight, all of the cousins looked at Lily.
"Come on Lily, you can sit with us!" Roxanne said.
She and Hugo walked on either side of Lily until they found an almost empty compartment.
Roxanne opened the door and addressed the girl sitting in their. "Do you mind if we sit here?"
The girl looked up at them. She had platinum blonde hair and sea green eyes.
"If you must," she sighed. Hugo and Roxanne sat arose from the girl, while Lily sat next to her.
"I'm Roxanne Weasley," Roxanne said. "But most people call me Roxy."
"I'm Hugo Weasley," Hugo said.
The girl looked at them. "Weasleys? My brother is friends with your cousins. Or maybe sibling. I never know with you Weasleys. I'm Aludra Malfoy."
Hudo nodded. "Hello Aludra. It's Roxy's and Lily's cousin and my sister that you brother hangs out with. And me and Roxy's cousin and Lily's brother."
"Lily? Lily Potter? I thought she was kidnapped," Aludra said.
"She was. She was found just a few weeks ago. They thought she was a muggleborn living in an orphanage until a friend of our families was sent to pick her up. Apparently she looks just like Aunt Ginny did," Roxy said.
Aludra examined Lily. "Well let's hope that she doesn't disappear for another ten years."
Lily only nodded.
"I suppose you will all be sorted into Gryffindor? I'm hoping to be in Slytherin. My whole family, except my brother, have been in it," Aludra said.
"Of couse we'll be in Gryffindor. Our whole families been!" Hugo said indigently.
"Well, each family needs an odd one out. For my family that's my brother, being in Gryffindor. You're the last of your family to go to Hogwarts. One of you can't be in Gryffindor," Aludra said.
This seemed to somber Hugo and Roxy quite a bit, but Lily found herself more cheerful. Her goal, to not be like her parents, might just come true.
So what house do you think Lily will be in? I think I've made it kinda obvious. Virtual cupcakes to anyone who figures it out!