30 July 1977
Potter,
I've just received an owl from Remus with the news of your father. I hope you won't be upset with him for telling me.
I know that last term we parted on a particularly bad note…so I hope you believe me when I say that I'm very sorry for your loss. You never told me much about your dad (why would you?), but from Remus I know that you looked up to him a lot. He sounds like he was a wonderful auror and I know he will be missed by many.
I think I know the fear you're probably feeling right now. Not a fear of dying, but a fear that those around you will die. Every time I leave the house I'm afraid I'll come back to find the Dark Mark hovering over it and my parents gone.
I'm not just afraid for them. I'm afraid for all the young students at Hogwarts, all the clueless muggles, and the people I don't know who may end up dead. I've started having the Daily Prophet delivered here. I cut out every article that mentions a death and have spelled them to my ceiling. I look up at them before I fall asleep. I make them invisible when I leave my room so my mum doesn't come in and start reading them. She knows something is going on, but I'm too afraid to tell her.
The numbers of the dead are staggering. Yesterday there was a story of a young girl who was found in her parents' front yard. Her mother was a muggle, you see. They had cut the Dark Mark into her arm with a cursed blade. Do you know how old she was? Six. These people out there, they disgust me. How can they do these things? How can they believe this is right?
I don't know why I'm writing all of this. Honestly, it was just supposed to be a simple letter to let you know I'm sorry about your dad. That last story probably wasn't comforting at all. I shouldn't send this but I've known you since we were children even if I've never felt very strong positive feelings towards you (blame yourself, Potter, what 11-year old girl would like a boy who sends Howlers to her for a month demanding she go out with him?) but I need you to know that if you need anything my family and I are here for you. In times like these we all have to stick together.
I'll see you on the train,
Lily Evans
p.s. Congratulations on making Head Boy I'm sure your mother is very proud. And I know your father would be too, Remus said he had been Head Boy when he was at Hogwarts.