September 2nd 1971:
Lily Evans awoke to the soft, golden light filtering through the tall windows of the Gryffindor girls' dormitory. For a brief moment, she forgot where she was, the thick, velvety hangings around her bed making everything feel unfamiliar. Then, all at once, it hit her—Hogwarts. She was here. Magic was real.
She sat up abruptly, her heart fluttering with excitement. Across the room, her roommates were stirring as well. Mary Macdonald groaned and buried her face in her pillow, while Marlene McKinnon was already stretching, her curly hair a wild mess. Alice Fortescue, looking bright-eyed and eager, smiled at Lily.
"Morning! Ready for our first day?"
Lily grinned back. "Absolutely!"
"I hope we don't get lost," Mary mumbled sleepily. "This castle is ridiculous. I swear, the staircases are moving just to mess with us."
Marlene laughed as she pulled on her robes. "That's because they are! I heard some older students talking about it last night. Apparently, there's one that leads somewhere different every day."
"That's comforting," Alice said dryly. "Let's just try not to end up in the dungeons by accident."
The girls dressed quickly, still getting used to the heavy school robes and the way their ties seemed determined to knot the wrong way. Marlene had to help Mary with hers before they finally grabbed their books and hurried down to the common room.
The space was already alive with students, some yawning into their hands, others chatting animatedly about what lessons they had first. James Potter and Sirius Black were loudly discussing Quidditch, while Remus Lupin was reading through his schedule with quiet focus. Peter Pettigrew hovered beside them, looking uncertain about something.
"Morning, Evans!" James called, his glasses slightly askew. "Excited for lessons? Bet I'll beat you at Charms."
Lily rolled her eyes. "It's not a competition, Potter."
"Everything's a competition if you try hard enough," Sirius quipped, slinging an arm over James's shoulder. "Even waking up early. Which, by the way, we clearly won."
"Yeah, Evans, you should really work on your dedication," James said, smirking. "If you're going to be top of the class, you need to at least try to keep up with us."
"Oh yes, because watching you two buffoons trip over each other on the way down here was a masterclass in efficiency," Lily shot back.
"Honestly, I'm impressed they managed to dress themselves," Mary muttered to Marlene, who snickered.
Sirius gasped dramatically. "Buffoons? James, did you hear that? Our honor has been insulted!"
James clutched his chest. "We may never recover."
"Pity," Lily said airily. "I was hoping you'd last at least one full day before making fools of yourselves."
"No promises," James said with a grin as they headed toward the Great Hall.
"Why do you even bother talking to them?" Alice asked as they walked. "It only encourages them."
Lily sighed. "Unfortunately, ignoring them doesn't seem to work either."
"Just hex them if they get too annoying," Marlene suggested. "I hear Slughorn loves a bit of ambition."
They made their way down the moving staircases, which caused a bit of confusion when one of them shifted mid-step, sending half the group to the wrong landing. By the time they reached the Great Hall, breakfast was in full swing. The enchanted ceiling reflected a bright blue sky, and the smell of fresh toast and eggs filled the air.
Lily slid into a seat beside Alice and Marlene, reaching for a goblet of pumpkin juice. Across the hall, she spotted Severus Snape at the Slytherin table, hunched over his plate. Their eyes met briefly before he looked away. A small pang tugged at her, but before she could dwell on it, Marlene nudged her.
"First lesson is Charms with Flitwick."
...
Professor Flitwick turned out to be a tiny, excitable wizard who had to stand on a stack of books to see over his desk. He introduced them to the basics of spellwork and had them attempt a simple levitation spell. Most students only managed to make their feathers tremble, but Lily's lifted a full inch before wobbling back down.
"Excellent, Miss Evans!" Flitwick squeaked delightedly. "Very promising indeed!"
She beamed, pleased with herself, and noticed James scowling at his unmoving feather.
"Not a competition, huh?" he muttered.
"Oh, don't look so glum, Potter," Sirius teased. "At least your feather didn't explode."
"It wouldn't have exploded!" James huffed, before narrowing his eyes at Lily. "Did you hex it, Evans? Be honest."
"Oh yes, I spend all my time finding ways to sabotage you," she said dryly. "It's my life's mission."
...
After a hearty lunch, they descended into the cool, dimly lit dungeons for Potions. Professor Slughorn welcomed them with a booming voice and a broad smile, immediately launching into a speech about the wonders of potion-making. The room smelled of herbs, burnt ingredients, and something faintly metallic. Lily and Severus had often practiced together before school, so she felt confident as she carefully measured her ingredients. By the end of the lesson, she had a perfectly brewed potion, earning an approving nod from Slughorn.
"Excellent work, Miss Evans!"
Severus, at the Slytherin side of the room, glanced over with a small smirk of approval. She smiled back before turning away.
…
After dinner, Lily lingered near the entrance to the Great Hall, scanning the crowd. Eventually, she spotted Severus standing near a shadowy corner.
"Sev!" she called, weaving through the throng of students.
He looked up sharply, his expression flickering with annoyance before he glanced around, checking if anyone was watching. When he saw some older Slytherins down the corridor, he shifted uncomfortably but forced a small smile as Lily approached.
"Lily," he said quickly, keeping his voice low.
"How was your first day?" she asked brightly.
He hesitated. "Fine. Potions was easy."
She smiled. "Slughorn seemed really impressed with you."
A flicker of pride crossed his face, but when he noticed James Potter smirking at them from across the hall, his face darkened. "You should stop talking to him," he muttered. "He's an idiot."
Lily sighed. "James is annoying, but he's harmless."
Severus scowled but said nothing. Instead, he looked away as James laughed loudly with Sirius, throwing one last glance in their direction before walking off.
Lily, oblivious to Severus's irritation, continued chatting enthusiastically about their lessons. He barely responded, glancing around nervously.
"I wish we had more classes together," she said.
Severus gritted his teeth but nodded. "Yeah."
She beamed. "Well, at least we'll still see each other between lessons!"
"Yeah. See you tomorrow," he mumbled, already inching away.
Lily waved cheerfully, while Severus clenched his fists and disappeared back into the shadows, scowling.