Chapter6
Hermione grinned as she read the words Lily had written. About being the child that Clarissa spoke of. Of course Lily wasn't that child, but was the mother of that child. Harry. She sighed as her thoughts went to dwell on her friend. Some days were better than others. But for the most part, Harry didn't want to have anything to do with her or Ginny. They were the all too visible reminders of all that he'd lost. Friends, almost family members, beloved professors. All for the overall safety of the wizarding population. While the world seemed grateful to Harry for all that he'd done, they seemed to forget that he was a human being. A human being who suffered like the others. He wasn't some all powerful Superman type savior. He was just Harry. And Hermione knew more than most how much it meant to him to be normal and not famous. Which was why she hoped that Lily would be able to speak to him from her own words, long lost these past twenty plus years. If only Lily were able to speak to him now.
A quick checking on the wards surrounding the attic showed that all was in order. One day soon, her mysterious follower would make a mistake, and she would be able to unmask the intruder. But until then, she had to be content to keep the wards up. She knew that the time wasn't right for her to confront her follower. Though what Remus and the Order would say when she did so was not something she was ready to think about. Pushing that thought aside to deal with another time, she went back to Lily's story.
December, 25, 1970
Happy Christmas! Ever since we got back from the trip to Wales, I've been thinking about what that woman told me about Clarissa. And the fact that I may be the child that was spoken of. What's so special about me anyway? I'm almost 11 years old, have a normal family, get along most of the time with my sister, oh. And yeah. Strange things happen around me. Things that I can't really explain. But that doesn't make me special does it? I'm just me. Lillian Michelle Evans. Lily. I don't think I'm all that pretty either. Not like Great-great grandmum Clarissa was. Now she was a beauty. Me. I just rather dark red hair and my best feature is my eyes. They're emeralds.
Petunia is home for the holidays. She's still only speaking to me when we're at home and not around any of her friends. But she did wish me a Happy Christmas this morning and that made me feel really good.
I wonder how Julie's doing in America and what sort of Christmas she's having. My poor friend. Having to be the provider for her younger brother and sister. And she's not even finished with school yet! I hope she likes the present that Mum mailed her for me. I found her the cutest little stuffed dog. It's a black, shaggy dog with an expression that begs to be cuddled. I named it Snuggles for her. I hope that it helps her be strong for her brother and sister.
Dreams, dreams, dreams. Here I thought that my strange dreams were finished since I've not had any for a few months. But, no, they're not. Last night, I woke myself up with yet another strange dream. That dark-haired boy was in it yet again. Only this time, I only saw his back as he shouted something at me and motioned for me to run. Then there was a baby. I know, somehow, that that was my child and the dark-haired boy my husband. And we were in danger. Of something. I don't know what.
After I was awaken from that one, I immediately fell back into another dream. This one, though, was very different. Julie was at a desk writing something. But not the Julie I remember. She was grown up. Her blonde hair hung down her back in gentle waves. A child not more than 2 played on a blanket nearby. This child obviously wasn't either Cassie or Samuel so I have to think that it's Julie's child. An owl stood off to the side of the desk near the open window, evidently waiting for Julie to finish writing her letter. But why should an owl wait for a letter? What does it have to do with putting a piece of paper in an envelope and giving it to the postman? Anyway, Julie pauses in her writing to wipe a tear away from her eye, and I see a portion of the letter. "…I knew your mother. I knew her before she found out…She's been my dearest friend since we were eight years old. Through everything that's happened to me…As saddened as I was to hear of … Please, for her sake, you must live again! …" Julie's writing a letter to the child of the earlier dream?! But why to the child and not to me? What's happened? Oh I wish that these dreams would stop! Or at least be explained!
Always,
Lily
January 17, 1971
I can't believe how quickly the holidays went by! School's started back up again and Mr. Goshen is hard pressed to find subjects that will hold my interest. I think that he's still afraid that I will cause more accidents. I know I can't help it, but they are annoying. And lately, they seem to happen more and more often. I wish I knew why! My most recent one did happen over the holidays. And once again it was centered around Petunia. She'd made me mad again. And this time I focused my mind onto the hand that was holding a mug of cocoa. All I wanted to do was cause the mug to get hot enough that she'd drop it. I really didn't mean to cause nasty blisters on her hand. That part was an accident. But Mum and Daddy still knew that I'd caused it, so I was punished. They knew that the one thing I love the most is to write in your pages, diary. So, they took you away from me for all of three days. They felt that I would learn a lesson better by not being able to write about all that happens for a few days. I think it worked. I won't deliberately try to cause harm to my sister like that again. I can't stand the thought that my diary gets taken away from me again!
I got Julie's package in the post today. She sent me this record from a popular band in America called the Beach Boys. The record is called Sunflower. It's a totally cool record! They sound so much fun. I've got it playing right now. Julie also told me that she and Cassie both love Snuggles, though it seems that Cassie has claimed him. She said that they're doing ok. Some neighbours are helping to see that they have all the food and clothes that they need. But that there is this one lady who keeps trying to report them to Child Services. Because it's against the law for kids to live alone without a mum or a dad to take care of them. But Julie says that they always manage to find out when the government people are coming and they leave the flat for a while. I do hope that Julie and the kids don't get separated!
Always,
Lily
February 23, 1971
Why won't these dreams go away? I'm at the point where I don't want to go to sleep at night any more because I know that each time I close my eyes, that I will be transported into a world that is strange and I don't understand! I see myself and others who are obviously people I know, and there's danger and castles and sometimes I'm doing things that I don't understand. Like the one with me standing over some sort of huge pot, tossing in the strangest things, and then pouring out some purple liquid into a glass container and giving it to the really portly man standing at the front. At least that one makes some sense. I'm taking some sort of class and that purple liquid is the assignment and the man is the teacher. Hmmm. I can't actually see myself taking cooking classes!
Hermione laughed in spite of herself at the thought of cooking classes. Like Lily, she was all thumbs in the kitchen. Thank heavens she could cook with magic and not need to worry about things like correct measurements and ingredients. She glanced around the attic and content that all was in order went back to the story.
Well my 11th birthday is in a month. Mum told me that she wants to make it really special for me so I need to let her know what I'd like to do. Because once the fall term starts, she's going to send me on to the same school that Petunia's at. And since this will be my last birthday at home, she wants to make is memorable. I know what would make it really great. And that would be that Julie could be here. But I know that Mum and Daddy can't afford to fly her here just for my birthday. Bummer. I wonder if I shall fit in at Petunia's school. I've enjoyed learning on my own and having Mr. Goshen teach me, but I do long to be around other kids my age. But I'm so different. Will that matter at Petunia's school? Will there be more kids like Stephanie who will be mean to me because I'm different? And what about all my accidents? I wonder if they'll stop once I go away to school. And the dreams too. Will they stop or get worse? Mum always says that worrying about tomorrow is just borrowing trouble, so I guess that I'd better stop. After all, I won't go off to school for about six months and I should enjoy the time I've still got at home!
Always,
Lily
March 27, 1971
I turned 11 years old today. And Mum made my favorite dessert. Chocolate treacle tart! Mouth watering is what it was. So even though my birthday wish of having Julie here didn't come true, I still had a special birthday. As usual, Daddy gave me another blank diary for when I fill this one up. Mr. Goshen was going to let me have the day off from my studies but since my birthday's on a Saturday, I have it off anyway.
Lately, school's been rather dull since the trip to Wales. I mean, I found out information about Clarissa, so the trip wasn't a total waste, but we didn't get into a lot about King Arthur like I'd hoped. Oh well. Mr. Goshen wants me to do some research on Greek and Roman mythology now. He says I'm a little young for it, but am ready. So that should be fun. I do like to read about all the various types of mythology. I wonder what sort of a project he'll have me do this time?
It's funny though. Now that I'm 11, I feel different inside. It's like something happened inside of me and things are balanced or something like that. I don't know why I feel like that, I just do. It's not like I'm any different. I'm just a year older. I mean, I guess I am different in the fact that I am growing up and will be off at school in the fall. But, I'm still a kid. Mum says I feel like this because changes are taking place in my body. I know all about that stuff. And that's not exactly what I'm feeling. I think that that is part of it, but not the entire thing. I can't even describe it too well.
Always,
Lily
April 10, 1971
Got a letter from Julie today. It was much shorter than her normal ones. She said that there is this boy who really likes her. But she thinks that he's a stupid-head and is just trying to find out for sure if she's living all alone with just Cassie and Samuel and no mum or dad. But as she says, what the government doesn't know can't hurt them. She also told me about the growing unrest and people wanting to execute Charles Manson for various murders he and his followers have committed. Can't say that I really know who Charles Manson is since I certainly don't pay any attention to the news and stuff like that. That's Daddy's job. Speaking of, he was going through his nightly routine of announcing little tidbits of the news the other evening when one thing he said caught my attention. He said that on the 1st, the UK lifted all restrictions on the ownership of gold. I find that rather interesting that there were restrictions on it in the first place. Then the pictures on tonight's news was still showing clean-up attempts of the eruption of Mount Etna five days ago. Evidently this time, the volcano buried the Etna Observatory under lava and ash. I wonder how many people died when the volcano erupted.
So, my latest paper for Mr. Goshen is all about current events. Like the eruption of Mount Etna. That one's really interesting since we've been talking about Greek mythology and the giant Typhon was evidently confined under the mountain and that Aeolus confined the winds to swirl beneath it as well. So this is a mountain that plays a part in mythology. Though how much of the legends are true I don't know!
I'm finding mythology to be a fascinating subject!
Always,
Lily
May 8, 1971
Well I started my new diary today. This makes my 4th one. I still find it hard to believe that I have enough to write about to keep filling the pages of these books. And that I've kept up with it is also impressive. Usually, I start a project, get bored after a while, and stop. But not with my writing. I really do like to write.
I've managed to last over two months without an accident. Maybe those things are past now. Does it have something to do with my being 11 years old? That's something to think about later.
Mythology. As fascinating as I find the subject, the stories are really rather boring. I keep getting the gods and goddesses mixed up. And which god is married to which goddess. And he's cheating on her with that one. It's rather confusing! I like the stories better. I love the story of Persephone who marries Hades and is forced to live in the Underworld for 6 months of the year. The tales about Demeter are also great because they go so well with Persephone. The stories are the interesting parts. I don't care much for the parts about who betrayed who and is now out wrecking havoc on the earth because of it.
Always,
Lily
July 9, 1971
School is over for the summer. And Petunia's train gets here tomorrow. I'm not sure what I'll do with my sister for the summer especially in light of the latest bit of news I've gotten.
Yesterday when I came down for breakfast, the post had already arrived. There sitting beside my plate was the most unusual letter. The envelope wasn't normal. It was made of parchment, had no stamp, and was sealed with purple wax that depicted a coat of arms containing four animals – a lion, a badger, an eagle, and a snake all surrounding a letter H. It was addressed to me, written in emerald ink. Here's what the address read "Miss L. Evans. The Dining Room. 17 Breckinridge. St. Edmundsbury. Suffolk, England." How odd. This letter is addressed to me in the dining room. Strange. Needless to say, I quickly opened the letter. My curiosity was getting the better of me.
Written on some parchment-type of paper, in the green ink, were words that surprised me.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledoor (Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards)
Dear Miss Evans,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1 with the Hogwarts Express departing at eleven o'clock am from platform 9 ¾ of Kings Cross Station in London.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
This is very strange. "Daddy," I asked. "What's a mugwump?"
"A what?"
"A mugwump. It says that this guy is the Supreme Mugwump."
"Lily, what are you talking about?"
"My letter. It's from this place called Hogwarts."
"Let me see that," Daddy said as I'd finally gained his attention. I handed him the letter and let him read it for himself.
"Lily, I don't know what a mugwump is, but at least we now know what's so different about you. You, my Lily-girl, are a witch," he said with a smile.
"But Daddy, witches don't exist. How can I be a witch?"
"Sweetheart, I don't know, but at least you're not different. You're you. And you're a witch. This is rather exciting. You're the first witch in the family. How I wish that your grandmother was still with us. She'd probably be able to answer, somewhat, your questions. Just think! A witch!"
Daddy was thrilled at the idea of me being a witch. I'm not too sure yet. All I know is that this is something else that will widen the ever expanding gap between Petunia and me! I'll write more tomorrow when I've had a chance for this to sink in. I wonder where I go to get my school things?
Always,
Lily
