It Didn't Start This Way
Chapter One: Discovery

Lily turned in front of the full-length mirror and smiled at her reflection. 'Perfect,' she thought. Staring back at her was a petite curvy figure dressed in a beautifully laced white gown. The strapless gown tapered her waist then flowed outward with beads placed in strategic areas, making her sparkle when the sun hit them.

Someone rapped on the door. Stunned out of her mesmerized state by the intrusion, Lily gasped. "Come in," she called to the visitor.

"Lily?" A tall pale woman came into the room. She was dressed in a lavender bridesmaid dress with spaghetti straps and a billowing skirt. Her bodice was also beaded strategically, her dress glistening in the most perfect spots. "Oh, Lily," she breathed when she saw Lily smiling at her. "You look marvelous."

Lily beamed. "You really think so, Trin?" She turned back to her reflection.

"Lils, I know so. Come now," Trin said as she rushed into the room. "We only have a few moments before it's time." She let out a squeal diving into the drawers full of brushes, ribbons, and laces.

Lily sat at her bureau and stared wistfully at her reflection as Trin grabbed a brush and delicately ran it through Lily's auburn hair. Lily let her mind drift to the day in her tenth summer when her entire life changed...thanks to a chance meeting on Charring Cross Roads.

---

Lily Evans stared blankly at the fried eggs and toast in front of her. ‘What to do today?’ she thought to herself. ‘Maybe a stroll around the park. Or maybe read another book…’

She sighed and began to eat her breakfast slowly. She felt her mother’s eyes on her and knew without looking up that she was concerned. Everyone in the household knew how difficult it was for Lily to find something to do. Everyone tried everything they could think of to interest Lily. Mother had taken Lily shopping for hours at a time. Father drove her to the ice cream shop every so often. Even Petunia played an occasional game of cards with her. But after a while, such a routine became bland.

As Lily got up to put her dishes in the dishwasher, her mother asked, "Are you up for some back-to-school shopping, honey?"

Lily looked up at her mother and smiled a little. It was obvious to her what her mother was trying to do, and she was grateful. "No, I was thinking of walking around town by myself today," she answered. "If you don't mind, of course."

Her mum smiled. "Of course not. Go on upstairs and get ready; I’ll call the Abercrombies and see if Selena can come with you."

Lily grinned, something she hadn't been doing very often. "Thank you so much, Mum!" she cried and bounded toward the stairs.

"Oh, and if you don't mind, would you wake Petty up for me? We can't have her sleeping the entire day," her mother asked.

Lily climbed the stairs two at a time and stopped outside her sister's room. "Petty!" she called, knocking on the door. "Mum says it's time to wake up!"

A muffled groan was heard from the other side of the door. After a bit of shuffling, Petunia's voice was heard. "All right. Give me minute."

Lily smiled at her older sister's antics and headed toward her own room.

One of the few things in her life that satisfied her was her room. The walls were bare except for the paintings that her mother had painted for her. White lilies bordered the corners of the walls while the part of the wall that was touching the wooden floor was decorated with overly sized lilies growing out of the fresh, spring grass. Lily, being obsessed with her namesake, had lily bed sheets, pillows, curtains, and throw rug. Every night, before she went to sleep, she took the air freshener (lily-scented, of course) and sprayed it all over her room so she could fall asleep to the scent of fresh lilies.

Lily picked up the telephone (the word "Lily" was painted on the receiver) and dialed Selena's number.

"Hello?" a woman's soft voice asked.

"Mrs. Abercrombie? This is Lily. Is Selena awake?" Lily asked eagerly.

"Oh, good morning Lily. Yes, Selena is awake. Let me go get her," Mrs. Abercrombie said.

Lily sat in her chair, twirling the telephone cord in her fingers as she waited.

"Lily?" a softer and sweeter voice answered.

"Lena! My mom said it would be okay for me to spend the day in town today, and she said you could come! Want to go?" Lily quickly asked in one breath.

Selena chuckled softly. "I don't think I'm doing anything today, but I'll have to ask my mom to be sure. Hang on."

Again, Lily waited impatiently for her friend to answer.

"Lily? She said yes," was the answer from the voice on the other side of the phone.

Lily squealed with delight, smiling widely. She knew Mrs. Abercrombie would love for Lena to get out once in a while. It was known, and clear, to everyone that fresh sunlight would do very well for the all-to pale and skinny Selena.

The two girls quickly said their good byes to one another, and Lily dashed to her mirror. Her emerald eyes, her favorite feature, stared back at her. Lily pulled a brush through her dark frizzy red hair once or twice to tame it and ran down the stairs.

"Whoa, Lils! Where's the fire?" Petunia asked jokingly at the table as she ate her breakfast.

Lily grinned. "I'm going out today," she announced to her big sister proudly.

Lily’s mother glanced at her younger daughter's cheerful expression and smiled. “If I’d have known you would react so positively to a day out with Selena, I would’ve insisted you both go out everyday,” she exclaimed.

Petunia smiled too. Like her mother, she had noticed how distraught Lily had been all summer. Petunia raised a carefully plucked eyebrow. “That is enough to keep her satisfied?” she asked her mom in a mockingly incredulous tone. "Well, I hope you two have fun. And do keep an eye out for cute boys, won't you?" she asked playfully and winked.

Lily giggled and rolled her eyes. "Of course I will, Petty." Then Lily bounded to her mother. "Mum, can we go now? Please?" she begged, tugging her mother's arm.

Her mother laughed. "Oh, okay," she gave in. She looked up at Petty. "You won't mind finishing the dishes, would you, dear?" she asked. "If you want me to do them, I'll just do them first and then take Lily."

Petty looked at Lily's begging eyes and laughed too. "Of course not. Go ahead and take Lily," she said.

Lily gasped and ran to hug her sister. "You're the best, Petty!" she cried, throwing her arms around Petunia.

"I know that already, Lils. And remember, when you come home, tell me everything that happened!" Petunia warned, shaking her finger at her sister.

Lily nodded. "Of course. And I'll make sure to buy you all presents!"

Her mother frowned as she glanced at Lily over her shoulder. "Lily Evans! Where is your jacket?" she scolded.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Mum! It's August! It's not cold in August!" Lily cried.

"Now, young lady, you march upstairs and bring a jacket. At least a light one. There's a dear.”

Lily sighed loudly and ran quickly up to her room.

Mrs. Evans sighed as well and turned to her oldest daughter, who was already starting on the rest of the dishes and smiled. "What would I do without you, Petunia?"

Petunia smiled as well. "Don't fret, Mum. I'm always here."

Lily rampaged back into the small kitchen. "Okay Mum. Now I'm ready. Can we please go now?" she begged.

Her mum chuckled and said, "All right, all right. Let's go." Lily let out a whoop before stampeding out the front door. Behind her, her mother shook her head slightly as she fetched her car keys.

On the way to the Abercrombies’, Lily couldn't keep still in her seat in the car. "Mum, can't you drive a little faster?" she whined.

"Now, now. If I get into an accident, you'll never be able to get there. Be patient, dear. Selena’s not going anywhere but with us."

Lily groaned and continued staring out the window, as if willing the scenery to go by faster with her mind.

Finally, the car pulled into the Abercrombies' driveway. Lily opened the car door before it pulled to a complete stop, much to her mother's horror. However, before she could scold Lily, her daughter had already bounded to the front door and pushed the doorbell.

The door immediately flew open, and both girls squealed delightedly at the sight of each other. They jumped up and down before giving each other bear hugs.

Selena turned around, gave a small wave, and began running toward the car. For a pale, slim girl, she did have a considerable amount of stored energy.

Lily waved to the Abercrombies’ as well before leaping toward the car as well.

Selena, slightly flushed and panting, climbed into the backseat of the car. "Good morning, Mrs. Evans," she greeted politely.

Mrs. Evans smiled warmly and said, "Good morning, Selena. How's your summer
been?"

"All right, I guess."

Lily threw herself down in the backseat and panted out, "No fair. You had a head start."

Selena smiled and answered, "You have longer legs though."

Lily pouted slightly at this, finding it hard to retort, then stuck her tongue out. Lena laughed at her best friend's face. Lily started laughing along with her.

---

Mrs. Evans dropped the girls off at the heart of London. "Now remember," she reminded the girls as she handed them a few English notes. "No talking to strangers, no inappropriate behavior, no-"

"Mum, we know already," Lily sighed exasperatedly.

Her mother smiled slightly. "Just making sure." She changed her smile into a stern face as she continued. “If you ever need me, run to a payphone and call. I’ll be at the house.”

After a quick peck on the cheek for both girls, her mother drove off, still slightly worried. The two girls stood as they watched the car turn the corner.

"Right," Lily turned to Selena. "What should we do now?"

Selena looked thoughtfully for a moment. "How 'bout we go to that new museum? My mother said it might be fun," she suggested.

Lily shook her head in distaste. She hated museums. She hated the fact that she would have to whisper in hushed voices for the entire time. When she tried to make the museum more "interesting" people would just scold her or shoo her out. "How 'bout we go north? You know, where there are all those interesting and deserted places. It would be fun to find a little warehouse all to ourselves." Lily smiled at the thought of it.

Selena seemed a bit uneasy. "Oh, I don't think it would be much fun. I mean, there aren't any interesting people up there. And the streets are so much darker," she said quickly.

Lily took Selena's arm and started tugging on it. "Oh, come on, Lena! We'll have lots of fun! We might even find a dragon scale! Or a ghost!" she said excitedly.

Selena smiled. Lily was famous for her love of fantasy; stories about magical creatures and faraway lands never ceased to fascinate Lily. The only type of those stories she hated were the damsels in distress. Each time someone suggested telling the story of Sleeping Beauty or some other well-known damsels in distress, she would wrinkle her little nose and say, "Why would I want to hear about a girl who sits there all day, waiting for her prince to come? Tell me the story of the princess who killed the dragon with her magical sword!"

"Oh, all right,” Selena gave up. “But only for a while.”

Lily let go of Selena's arm to clap her hands together. Then she reached for Selena's hand again. "Well, hurry up, slow poke!"

The two girls ran quickly through the thick crowds. After a few minutes of running, the crowd began to thin until there were only 4 or 5 people visible in all directions.

The girls slowed their pace to look at each abandoned building, making up stories for them as they went.

"That was the haunted home of a ghost!"

"That one must've been the warehouse for pirates to store their stolen goods!"

The girls giggled as they kept naming the "familiar" buildings.

"That one must've been the saloon where criminals hung out." Lily pointed at a small building behind a large bookstore.

"Actually, that building is a tavern," another voice said from behind. The two girls spun around.

Standing before them were two tall boys about their own age, each wearing a grin on their face. The one who had spoken had chocolate brown eyes, which looked out from behind a pair of round glasses, his messy black hair spilling over them. His wiry frame seemed too big for his round face. The other had chin-length black hair with dark brown eyes and towered above the rest of them. His face was more chiseled than his companion's and he seemed a bit older.

"Well, well. Who do we have here, wandering around the streets of London by themselves?" the one who spoke before said.

"Are you two going to go in or not?" the other asked.

“Go in where?” Lily asked them, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

“The Leaky Cauldron.”

Lily tilted her head. “What’s that?”

The boys looked at each other in surprise. “Well, well. A pair of Muggles who can actually see the Leaky Cauldron?” the taller one asked.

The one with glasses nodded, grinning even wider. “That’s something you don’t see everyday.”

"What? What are Muggles?" Lily snapped at them and glanced with an annoyed expression at the now silent Selena who had been looking on with worried eyes.

"Oops, we better watch out, James. We wouldn’t want these Muggles to walk through that ‘saloon’ ," the taller one laughed.

"We aren't Muggles. We’re normal people like you.” Lily looked over the pair. The one wearing glasses wore a scarlet red robe while the other one wore a dark blue one. "Hmm scratch that," Lily added, not trying to keep a slight sneer out of her tone. "We're normal people unlike you."

A boy’s face darkened immediately while the other laughed heartedly. "Hey, James! This one has spunk!" he cried surprised.

"She doesn't have spunk. She has something wrong with her tongue. And that's putting it nicely," James spat at Lily.

"Why, you idiotic pert!" To everyone's surprise, Lily marched right up to James, who was a whole head taller than her, and slapped him with a smart smack. James, stunned stepped back, then curled both hands into fists and made toward Lily.

His friend grabbed him by the scruff of his robes and whispered sharply, "Stop, James! She's a girl!"

"There! That should teach you never to call me 'Muggle' ever again," Lily said haughtily.

Selena, finally snapped out of her silent phase, tugged at Lily's arm. "Stop it, Lily. You don't know what you're saying," she whispered.

Lily pulled her arm away impatiently. "I know exactly what I'm saying," she replied. She turned back to the boys. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have better things to do than to speak to likes of you." She spat the word out with as much venom as she could muster. With that said, she pushed past them and marched down the street back to the direction they had come from with her head held high. Selena shook her head and followed her fuming friend without looking back at the furious boy with glasses.

---

End notes: This chapter follows as closely to canon as my knowledge of the Harry Potter universe as of August 8, 2003 allows. Any information revealed to be false by Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will not be changed.

Reviews are graciously accepted and appreciated.

It Didn't Start This Way
Chapter 2 - James and Sirius

James Potter paced around his chamber, muttering comforts to himself. Sirius Black, his best friend, and best man, sat in a chair near the door yawning widely.

“Why is it taking so long?” James asked himself for the thousandth time. “Did she change her mind? Did she forget something? Is she sick?”

“Calm down, mate,” Sirius grinned. “Don’t sweat through the tuxedo. It’s a rental.”

“How can I calm down, Sirius?” James waved his arms around to emphasize his point. “How can I, when my bride-to-be is not ready and we’re already running five minutes late!”

Sirius held his palms up in defense. “All I’m saying is that you’re probably working yourself up. She’s probably just looking for a lost earring.”

James sighed and collapsed in another chair, running his hand through his messy hair.

Sirius got up from his seat and went to his friend. “Don’t worry, Prongs. The way Lily reacted when you proposed, I don’t think she’d have any regrets.”

James smiled weakly up at his friend and muttered, “Thanks Padfoot. You’re a real friend.”

Sirius snorted and went back to his seat. “Don’t go all ga-ga over me, Prongs. Save that for later, if you know what I mean,” Sirius winked.

James smirked and shook his head, his eyes resting on a nearby mirror. As he stared at his reflection, he remembered that just less than a decade ago, he had hated the girl - no, the woman - he was now going to marry. He still remembered his first reaction to the name Lily Evans...

---

The two boys stared after the retreating backs of the two girls. Sirius said, “There goes a girl who knows exactly what she’s doing.” He turned to his friend and, after noticing James's expression, asked, “What’s the matter with you?”

James just stared angrily at the back of the retreating redhead and touched the now welting red mark on his cheek. He let out a huff of annoyance before spinning around to storm into the Leaky Cauldron.

No one, in his entire life, had dared insult him. Well, that was not including Sirius at least. But that didn't count; they'd known each other from the day Sirius's parents stormed into the Ministry, angry at the "injustices" done to the Deatheaters.

But that...that...redhead, whom they had just met, decided to walk up to him, insult him, and then slap him! How dare she!

He could still see the curly-haired temperamental girl stomping away. 'If Sirius hadn't been there to hold him back, she would've have been able to walk away like that,' he fumed silently.

Sirius looked at his friend’s scowling face and let out a laugh. “Blimey, she really got you that time, eh?” They settled down at their usual table in the dim tavern. "Oye, Tom! Get me some of that new firewhiskey there, mate!" Sirius called to the bartender.

Tom, an old bent wizard, narrowed his eyes at the grinning Sirius and mumbled something before depositing two tankards full of caramel-colored butterbeer. Sirius frowned at the retreating bartender's back. "Oye that's no way to greet your regulars! We ordered the firewhiskey!"

Sirius shook his head and stared at his butterbeer. Without warning, he let out a long sigh. James looked up to see his friend's face uncharacteristically long and downhearted.

"What’s the matter with you?” James asked Sirius, concerned about the sudden mood change. "Angry you didn't get your firewhiskey?" he joked.

“I was just thinking how nice it would’ve been if that girl had been a witch. She would’ve done quite well here in the wizarding world.”

James’s scowl returned. “No, you’re wrong, Sirius. If that... that... thing was a witch, she would have to go to Hogwarts. And if she went to Hogwarts, I would have to put up with her for seven years! You and I both know that's trouble."

Sirius laughed. “Too bad we didn’t ask for her name, at least.”

James shook his head. “No, she wouldn’t have given it to us anyway.” He took a sip of his butterbeer.

Sirius, on the other hand, seemed deep in thought, wrinkling his face as he did so.

James laughed inwardly at Sirius' expression. “What is it? You look like you drank some sour milk.” James peered into Sirius's drink. "Did ol' Tom slip you something for the time when you jumped on his back?"

Sirius’s face brightened instantly. “Lily!”

A look of confusion fell on James’s face. “Excuse me?”

“Her name’s Lily!” Sirius cried, looking incredibly surprised that he remembered.

“How do you know that?”

“That’s what her friend called her,” Sirius answered impatiently, as if explaining something to a five year old. "Honestly, sometimes I wonder if those ears of yours are working at all."

“So?”

“So we know her name!” Sirius beamed happily.

“There’s no point. We’re never going to see her again, good riddance.”

“Oh yeah.” Sirius’s happy face dropped to the floor.

“Well come on. I heard they had a new model of the Nimbus in stock. Hurry!” James urged his friend then downing the rest of his butterbeer.

Immediately, Sirius’s grin returned. He downed half of his butterbeer while the rest spilled over his shirt. "What are we waiting for?"

---

End notes: This chapter follows as closely to canon as my knowledge of the Harry Potter universe as of August 8, 2003 allows. Any information revealed to be false by Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will not be changed.

Reviews are graciously accepted and appreciated.

No reviews for the last chapter since I turned it in right before they stopped taking new chapters. But here's the new one.

It Didn't Start This Way
Chapter 3 - Witch

“There,” Trin declared, setting the headdress on top of Lily’s hair. “You’re ready.”

Lily smiled at Trin’s reflection. “Thank you, Trin. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

Trin snorted in an unladylike way. “Don’t give me that flattery crap. You know I don’t like it.”

Lily chuckled softly, as she pulled the veil over her face. She sighed and examined herself once more. She stood straighter and looked straight into her reflection's eyes. “Here we go,” she whispered.

Trin smiled softly as she put a comforting hand on Lily’s arm. “Don’t worry, Lils. You’ll do just fine. You look ravishing. Come now,” she ushered Lily toward the door. “The wedding is about to begin."

As she opened the door, another bridesmaid in a matching dress rushed toward Lily. "Oh Lily! How lovely you look! Oh, if I could look even remotely like you when it's my turn, how wonderful that would be!" Fainne sighed wispily. She patted Lily's head. "You look so beautiful. Oh Lily, you're all grown up. Oh, look, I'm getting all teary-eyed before the wedding starts." She wiped away a tear that was trickling down her reddening cheek.

Trin patted Fainne's back. "We need to get started, dear," she reminded her friend gently.

Fainne jumped, remembering her duties. "Oye, Nymphadora!” she called to Sirius's cousin, the little bridesmaid, who had fallen asleep in a chair nearby. “Come now, quickly! Take Lily’s train there.”

The little girl, with vivid pink hair, scampered over and dutifully picked up Lily’s train. The child smiled brightly at Lily, lifting Lily's spirits significantly. Lily grinned back at the girl when Nymphadora stuck out a tiny pink tongue.

Trin turned back to Lily and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “There now. All ready? Good.” Trin led them to the room right outside the main hall. She opened the door a crack and gave a signal to the organist. Immediately, the slow wedding march began to play.

The two doormen opened the double doors for the young bride. Trin and Fainne walked in ahead of Lily, to set the tempo, as they had practiced so many times before. Lily’s emerald eyes lit up as floating candles danced over the crowd who were waiting to watch the marriage. When the door opened and the music began, all eyes turned to the bride.

And there... standing at the alter was the frantic-looking James Potter, whose worried frown quickly turned into a stunned stare, when Lily appeared at the door.

Lily, seeing her husband-to-be there at the alter, waiting for her, almost ran down the aisle into his comforting arms, where she would be protected from the unblinking stares of all those around them. However, as her friends had instructed her, she held her head up high and smiled. She kept her eyes locked with James’s hazel ones as she began her long walk down the aisle, at the slow and steady pace she had practiced for weeks before.

As she walked, she noticed that wherever she stepped, flowers sprung up as if welcoming her. She smiled at this magical charm placed on the carpet and remembered the first day that magic had entered her life...

---

Lily grumbled to herself while walking back into the heart of the city, occasionally asking Selena for her opinion on the situation. Selena, however, kept her mouth shut, waiting for Lily's mood to go away. This seemed to help Lily more, and by the end of the day, the two girls were laughing and joking as if the whole incident never happened.

“So, which secondary school will you be going to?” Lily asked between swallows of her ice cream, when they had stopped for a snack.

Selena seemed to turn paler than usual before recovering herself. “Oh, um... Malvern,” she replied smoothly.

“Lena! That’s not fair! I’m going to Moira. We’ll never be able to see each other!” Lily complained loudly, receiving disapproving stares from the people around them.

“Oh, it won’t be that bad," Selena tried to sound relaxed. "I’ll still come and see you on the winter holidays. We will definitely spend time together, during the summer,” Selena smiled unconvincingly.

Lily looked hurt. “Yes, well, it won’t be the same.”

Selena shrugged sadly. “Well, time does change some things.” She glanced at her watch. “I think it’s time to go back. Your mum’s probably already waiting for us.”

Lily nodded glumly. “I suppose so.”

The two walked back silently, each with their own thoughts of the upcoming year.

Mrs. Evans noticed the sad silence that had come between the two usually talkative girls. “So, did you two have fun today?” she asked, trying to make conversation.

“Yes,” the two of them answered, at the same time, neither sounding too enthusiastic.

“Ah, that’s nice,” Mrs. Evans replied, unconvinced.

As soon as Selena disappeared into her house later, Lily immediately started spilling her troubles out to her mum.

“It’s not fair! We’ve been friends ever since we were toddlers, and now we have to go to different schools! How come I can’t transfer there, or she can’t transfer here? It’s not fair!” Lily complained in a child-like voice.

Mrs. Evans smiled softly. “So, that’s what’s been bothering the two of you,” she nodded understandingly. She looked at Lily’s distressed face and comforted, “Don’t worry Lily. You’re a fun-loving girl. You’ll make so many new friends. Besides, you’ll still see her on holidays, I reckon.”

“That’s what Selena said,” Lily huffed, “though it won’t be the same.”

“Oh, sweet. Of course it won’t be the same. You can't expect nothing to change. If it was up to me, for example, you and Petty would still be in your diapers sleeping safely in your cribs. That won't happen though, will it?”

All Lily could do was sigh.

When they got home, they were surprised to find Petunia already waiting outside, glancing nervously around her. As soon as she spotted her mother's car, she hurried over, looking over her shoulder every once in a while as if someone was chasing her.

“What’s the matter, Petty?” Lily asked as she climbed out of the car. “You look as if you just saw a ghost.”

Petunia just pointed to the house anxiously. Lily looked at her, puzzled.

“Petunia? What’s the matter, sweet?” Mrs. Evans asked, concerned.

Petunia just shook her head and motioned them to follow her into the house.

As soon as the door opened, a barn owl flew right up to them and landed on Lily’s arm. Petunia shrieked in surprise, and Mrs. Evans gasped. Lily, however, just stared at the barn owl’s big eyes. The feeling of the owl's talons grasping her arms seemed so familiar, it made Lily tingle with anticipation. Something was happening; she knew it.

“Petty! Is this your idea of a joke? Are you keeping it as a pet?” Mrs. Evans asked incredulously.

“No, Mum! Of course not! Right after you left, this owl started pecking the window. I ignored it, of course, and it seemed to go away. But then, that... that... bird flew in from the chimney!” Petunia explained, through gasps.

Mrs. Evans was at a loss. She'd never seen an owl during the night, much less during the day. She was just about to tell Petunia to telephone the police when something caught her eye. “What’s that?” she asked out loud, pointing at an envelope at Lily’s feet.

“I don’t know,” Lily replied, bending down to retrieve it, keeping the owl steady on her arm at the same time. What was written on it made her gasp, almost making her drop the envelope and causing the owl to let out a loud hoot. Her emerald eyes snapped up to meet her mother’s blue ones, as she whispered barely audibly, “Mum, it’s for me.”

Without another word, Lily immediately began tearing the envelope open and drinking in the information on the first sheet of parchment she picked up. Her eyes scanned the page quickly, before handing it wide-eyed to her mother and sister to read.

After they read it, Mrs. Evans dropped the parchment.

“A witch?” Mrs. Evans whispered, watching her youngest daughter in amazement.

Lily's eyes turned to her mother and sister. “But there is no such thing as witches, is there?” she asked incredulously. “They only exist in our fairy tales...” she said halfheartedly, trying to convince herself that it was all just a lie; a wonderful lie, but a lie, nonetheless.

Petunia sniffed and her eyes hardened. “Of course they don't exist, Lily,” she snapped. “I told you to stop believing in those fairy tales.”

Mrs. Evans kept staring at Lily, dazed. At last, she spoke. "There has to be a logical explanation for this."

Petunia had taken the envelope from Lily's hands and was beginning to rave, her voice climbing octaves. “And look at this! 'Platform 9 3/4'? There is no such thing. Honestly, Lily, what type of people do you go to school with?"

Mrs. Evans looked sharply at Petunia, and Petunia instantly fell silent. She turned her gaze on her youngest daughter, who was still wide-eyed with shock.

"Mum?" Lily spoke timidly. "Is it true? Am I truly a witch?"

Mrs. Evans shrugged helplessly. "That, I cannot say definitely. Perhaps, we should do a bit of searching. To see if there are... others," she chose her words carefully.

Lily nodded, but Petunia, at these words, exploded in an anger, never seen before by Lily or her mother. "What? What researching?!You can't just walk up to someone and ask, 'Do you know anything about a witch school?' You can't just sit down to tea with your friends and remark casually, 'Did you get a letter from this witch school? Mine came with an owl!' They'll put you in the nut house for sure!"

"Petunia! You're not helping the situation. If you can't handle it, I suggest you return to your room!" Mrs. Evans scolded sharply. Immediately, Petunia shut her mouth, though she glared at Lily. Mrs. Evans turned back to Lily, who gaped at her sister in surprise. "Never mind her, Lily. Could this be a joke? Lily?"

Lily, still looking shaken, shook her head slowly. “I don’t think anyone would do something like this.” She turned back to the envelope. She took out one ticket and two other pieces of parchment. “Look. Here is the train ticket. And here,” she held up one piece of parchment, “seems to be instructions to some place.” She read the parchment out loud for the benefit of her family.

“'Dear Miss Evans. It has come to our notice that you have been deprived of the wizarding world. It is probable that you think this to be a lie. I assure you that it is as serious as it can be, for nothing is better for a growing witch than to develop your powers. This is where Hogwarts comes in. Your school supplies can be found in Diagon Alley. To reach Diagon Alley, please head north of London to a pub called the Leaky Cauldron at Charing Cross Road. Speak to the manager, Tom, there and mention Diagon Alley. He will show you what to do. Once you have reached Diagon Alley, your first destination is Gringotts. Please, if you can, put a small fortune into the bank for further use. The goblins will help with the money transfer. Then, you will have the money to spend on your school supplies. We hope you see it fit to attend Hogwarts this school year.'"

“Powers?” her mum asked, after Lily finished.

“Goblins?” Petunia repeated meekly, her face looking even more sunken in than before.

“Well, there’s all the proof we need,” Lily sniffed. She had overcome her shock and now was almost trembling with excitement. “I’m a witch.”

Petunia gasped sharply and snapped, “Do not say such things. What if someone hears you?” She glanced frantically around, as if waiting for a mob to come crashing through their doorway.

Lily looked ridiculously at Petunia. “I thought you of all people would be happy. I know I would be happy, and proud, to have a sister who’s a witch.”

Petunia grimaced at the word, but kept her tongue.

Mrs. Evans sighed. “Well, let’s see your school supply list.”

Lily handed the other parchment to her mother who read the list and returned it to her daughter. "I'm glad they told you where to find all this. Otherwise, you'll have a lot of trouble finding these in normal stores in London."

Lily’s eyes were wide with surprise. “I’m a witch...” she whispered to herself. Then, louder, “I’m a witch!” She started jumping up and down chanting, “I’m a witch!”

Mrs. Evans smiled. Lily bounded up to her and gave her an enveloping hug. She started toward Petunia, but Petunia moved quickly away. Lily stopped her antics and tilted her head to one side, confused.

“Stay away from me,” Petunia whispered. She edged toward the stairs, as if afraid of a contagious disease. When she reached the foot of the stairs, she ran up as quickly as her skinny legs could take her.

Lily shrugged her shoulders, though she was hurt on the inside. She spent the rest of the day outside in her yard, reading the letters over and over again.

Chapter 4 - A Day in Diagon Alley

As Lily proceeded the long, slow march towards her husband-to-be, she recognized some of the faces in the audience. As she glanced at each of them, she ticked them off her mentally-kept list of guests invited, still looking for the one person she had hoped would be there.

Among the guests was the old bartender of the Leaky Cauldron, the place where she first met James Potter. Throughout her seven years at Hogwarts, she always made an effort to visit the old man who seemed very protective of her and took her in as a sort of daughter. As a keeper to Diagon Alley, Tom was a familiar sight for the Hogwarts students visiting Diagon Alley for their school supplies.

Lily always stopped by for some of his delicious butterbeers and, more importantly, for any news she may have missed from her two months absence from the wizarding world. She remembered the very first time she had met Tom, a man she thought of at first as intimidating.


Two days before the term started, the Mr. and Mrs. Evans took their youngest daughter to the Leaky Cauldron. At least, they tried to.

Lily bounced up and down on her seat, in the car, as her parents drove to the same part of town she and Selena had just done their exploring.

“Look, there it is!” Lily exclaimed pointing to a little run-down building, behind a large bookstore.

“Where?” her mum asked, looking around.

“There! Right up front, behind that bookstore!"

Mrs. Evans turned to her husband. “Do you see it?”

Mr. Evans shook his head, confused. “Nope, none of these buildings have signs.”

“It must be a magical charm or something,” Lily said, her excitement building.

“Oh," Mr. Evans looked a little put-down. "Well, I guess we’ll just have to drop you off here. You take care of yourself, okay? Call us, if you need anything or when you’re ready to go home,” Mr. Evans replied.

Her mum shook her head. “No, she needs one of us to go with her.”

Mr. Evans sighed. “You can't go in there if you can't see it. If the wizards don’t want us to see it, then that means they don’t want us to go in either. Honey, Lily will be fine, won’t you?” His brow crinkled with worry as if he was the one who needed the reassurance.

Lily nodded her head vigorously. “Don’t worry, Mum.”

Her mum reluctantly agreed. “I suppose. But remember, no talking to strangers, no inappropriate behavior, no-”

“Mum!”

“Honey, she’ll be fine,” laughed Mr. Evans.

So finally, Lily was able to climb out of the backseat and watch her mum and dad drive off. In that moment, she knew her relationship with her parents will never be the same. She turned back to the shabby building, took a deep shaky breath, and opened the door.

As soon as Lily walked in, she wanted to go back out. The dark and drabby room scared her. There were several old women sitting at the bar, ordering drinks while cackling to each other. Some dark-looking men were playing cards at another table. One of them looked up at her.

“Hey, Tom! Another one!” he yelled in a raspy voice.

Lily froze. Had she walked into a trap? Her mind swirled with gruesome images of murderers and pirates as she felt her eyes well up with tears. Just as she was about to turn and run, an old, smiling man swooped down from seemingly nowhere and greeted her.

“Hello, young miss! Are you here for Hogwarts supplies? Best hurry miss. Term will start soon!” he grinned at her, showing yellowing teeth.

Lily smiled weakly back, not knowing whether to feel relieved or wary. “Um... how do I get to Diagon Alley?” she asked the man whom she presumed was Tom.

“Ah! Follow me, miss.”

Lily walked cautiously behind Tom, trying to ignore the strange-looking people that were staring at her. Tom led her through the bar and into a small courtyard behind the building, where only a few trash cans stood. Tom took out a thin stick and tapped a certain brick three times.

Lily gasped as the entire brick wall parted to make an arch leading onto a cobbled, busy street.

Tom smiled at Lily’s wide-eyed expression. “Must be Muggle-born, eh?” Tom asked. “Well, off you go. You might want to head toward Gringotts, you should.” He winked and left Lily to gaze in awe at the bustling street before her.

Short chapter, sorry about that. Especially after such a long wait, eh? The original chapter four was too long, in my opinion. The next chapter will make up for this one, I promise

A/N: All of you reviewers are horrible. You all kept me up late at night with your urgings to continue this. So to satisfy you, I've posted another chapter (it's been a while). Sorry to keep you all waiting. I'm focusing on another story at the moment, but since I've had the next few chapters ready for quite a while, I'll continue to post them. I present to you the long-lost chapter 5

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Chapter 5 - Friends?

Trin sniffed slightly as she smiled at the awestruck James. 'He deserves her,' she thought to herself. 'She's such a wonderful person.' As she walked closer and closer to James, she hardened her stare. James, feeling her glare, met her eyes. 'If I ever find out you mistreated her,' she told him mentally, 'I'll hunt you down.'

Despite the fact that Lily had always looked after Trin, she still felt very protective of the woman James was about to marry. Trin still couldn't believe how lucky she was to have been where she was when she first met Lily Evans. Their friendship, she knew, would last forever, no matter where they ended up.

---

Lily willed her jelly-like legs to start moving through the crowd. Soon, she was busy discovering everything around her. She watched as children her age went into a small boutique and came back out with parcels of robes. She watched as little children petted the various creatures at the owl-filled pet store. She watched as adults scrambled into bookshops to buy textbooks. But most of all, she was curious as to why a large crowd of people were gathered around one tiny store. She hesitated before making her way through the crowd.

“New model, this is.”

“My mum promised she’ll buy me one for Christmas.”

“You’re lucky, mate!”

Lily reached the window after elbowing through the thick crowd. She surprisingly found herself looking up at a regular broomstick. Shearched her eyebrows. “What’s so good about a broomstick?” she asked out loud.

A girl nearby heard her and turned to look at her in surprise. “You’re Muggle-born, aren’t you? Obviously you are, seeing as how you don’t know what that is.” She pointed to the broomstick, in the display window. “That is the newest and best model of the Nimbus. It’s the Nimbus 1000. Said to be able to go faster than the wind and has great control too, that one.”

“Oh” was all Lily could say, still confused.

The girl seemed to feel that Lily was uncomfortable. “I’m Celastrina. Celastrina Illyia, but you can call me Trin. I’m eleven years old. These are my two little sisters, Anthene and Eupharedria. My mother named us after butterflies." She waved at two smaller versions of herself, each with the same set of dazzling blue eyes and rich brown hair, pressing their petite noses against the display window. "What about you?” the girl asked, tilting her head to one side as she scrutinized Lily.

“I’m Lily Evans. I’m eleven years old also. I have an older sister named Petunia who's not a witch," she paused taking in the thrill of the word. "My mother named us after flowers."

Trin nodded her head. “So, is it your first year at Hogwarts this year?”

“Yeah, it is!” Lily answered, wide-eyed at the idea of making her very first witch friend. “Is it your first year too?”

Trin nodded again, her eyes sparkling with delight. Then she asked, “Are you buying your school supplies?”

Lily nodded her head. “I haven’t bought them yet, and I’m having a bit of trouble, I suppose. Have you gotten yours?”

Trin replied, “Yeah, my mum got them for me last week. I’ll help you with yours; I’ve got plenty of time.” She waved her hand at the broomstick. "I was only here to admire what I can't have," she sighed. "Well," she turned back to Lily, her lips forming a smile again, "Shall we?"

Lily replied gratefully, “Thanks.”

“No problem. The first place we need to go is Gringotts, if you haven't got any money. Here, follow me,” Trin said with authority and started walking away. Lily followed.

After a few minutes of excited chattering, Trin stopped and pointed to a white towering building. “There it is, Gringotts.” Lily took a moment to gaze at the majestic building before the two girls walked into the building, which was bustling, not unlike the rest of the alley.

Half an hour later, Lily’s moneybag was full of coins instead of the English notes.

“This is a Knut,” Trin was saying to Lily, holding up a little bronze coin. “This is a Sickle. Twenty-nine of those Knuts are equal to one Sickle,” Trin continued, holding up a slightly larger silver coin. “Seventeen Sickles are equal to one of these, Galleons.” She held up the last type of coin, a large gold one. Lily nodded, indicating she understood.

“Now, let's get to the fun part." Trin rubbed her hands together. "Making these disappear.” Trin looked around. “Let’s start at Ollivanders’. They sell wands. No witch or wizard can do without a wand.” Trin led Lily toward a small, shabby shop nearby.

Half an hour later, the girls emerged from the shop with Lily examining her wand with fascination. "Absolutely gorgeous," she breathed.

“Now, for Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions. We’ll buy your school uniform there.” Trin pointed at a small boutique Lily had walked past before.

As soon as the girls walked in, Madam Malkin greeted them. “Why, Celastrina! Again? Weren’t you here last week?” she asked Trin, her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Trin laughed. “Yes, I’m showing my friend here around. This is Lily Evans,” she replied, introducing Lily.

Madam Malkin smiled at Lily. “Hogwarts too, dear?” she asked.

Lily nodded, delighted that yet another person knew Hogwarts existed. “Yes, ma’am.”

Madam Malkin beamed and said, “Follow me, Lily. I’ve got a young man being fitted now as well.”

Madam Malkin started toward a door that led to the back of the shop. Lily looked at Trin questioningly, but Trin just shooed Lily after Madam Malkin.

Lily walked into a small room where another boy was standing on a stool, where an assistant was measuring him. The boy was a bit stout for his height and had blond hair that seemed to be pasted to his scalp. When he looked up, his face reminded Lily instantly of a mouse. She waved at him hesitantly, and he smiled timidly back.

Madam Malkin brought another stool in and motioned Lily to stand on it as well. Lily hopped on as Madam Malkin, with a wave of her wand, summoned measuring tape to start measuring Lily. Lily stared wide-eyed as the tape moved by itself, taking measurements of Lily's body parts. Madam Malkin turned back to help the boy standing next to Lily.

While waiting for his fitting to end, the boy took to staring at Lily. Without thinking, he spoke. “Your eyes are almost popping out.” Then he clapped both hands to his mouth, his eyes looking horrified.

The assistant, who almost stabbed herself with the pin when the boy jumped suddenly, cried out, “Peter! Stop moving!”

Lily turned to look at the boy, who seemed to be waiting for Lily to blow up angrily at him. Lily found the fright on the boy’s face amusing. Instead, she asked him politely, “Your name is Peter, is it?”

Peter lowered his hands slowly and nodded his head. “Peter Pettigrew is my name,” he answered, his eyes shifting uncomfortably from side to side as if wanting to sprint out the door.

Lily smiled at him. “My name is Lily Evans. I’ll be a first year at Hogwarts this year. What about you?”

“Me too.” Peter’s eyes brightened considerably after seeing that he had made a friend rather than an enemy.

Madam Malkin walked to Peter’s side, carrying his set of robes and proclaimed, “Here are your robes, Peter. And try not to soil them again. Your mum wouldn’t like bringing you here every other week to exchange robes, now would she?” she scolded him sternly.

Peter’s face flushed a bright red as he dismounted the stool and muttered his thanks to Madam Malkin. As he walked by Lily who had her arms spread at her side for the measuring tape, he said, “Good day!” and left abruptly.

After Lily bought her robes, she and Trin wandered about Diagon Alley for more supplies. They stopped for a quick snack at Florean Fortescue's to rest their tired feet.

As the two girls sat down at one of the tables outside, Trin told Lily all she knew about Hogwarts. “My mum and dad went to Hogwarts. They said it was the finest school in all of Europe, possibly even the world. They had a different Headmaster than the one we have. I think the Headmaster’s name is Albus Dumbledore. There are four houses: Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. My mum was in Ravenclaw, and my dad was in Gryffindor. Each House has its own characteristics.” She shrugged her shoulders. “All I know is that I don’t want to be in Slytherin.” She shuddered. “Almost all the wizards and witches that left as Slytherins became Dark wizards and witches.”

Lily furrowed her eyebrows. “What do you mean by Dark wizards and witches?”

Trin leaned forward, as if afraid a passerby might hear. “There’s a Dark wizard emerging. He’s powerful and feared, so feared that no one speaks of his name anymore. We just call him ‘He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’ and ‘You-Know-Who’. He’s been gathering followers, Dark followers who kill and torture. He’s been killing off Aurors, the wizards and witches who fight against Dark wizards.”

Lily shivered slightly at this dark subject. “What is his name?”

Trin frowned. “I’m not saying it out loud.” She crossed her arms stubbornly.

Lily rolled her eyes slightly. “It’s just a name, Trin. It’s not like he’ll pop up whenever you speak it.”

Trin shook her head emphatically. “I’m not saying it.”

“At least spell it.”

Trin scowled at Lily and finally replied, “Oh all right.” She took a deep breath and prayed silently to herself before continuing, “V-O-L-D-E-M-O-R-T,” she spelled, very slowly and quietly.

“Voldemort?” Lily asked out loud, without thinking.

The witches and wizards, who were enjoying the afternoon around them, emitted a loud gasp in unison. One of the younger witches stood up abruptly and several others looked around frantically. One of the older wizards who was walking to the washroom fell down in a crumpled heap. When they realized who had said his name, they glared at Lily. One old witch scolded, “For shame!”

Lily just rolled her eyes. Trin herself looked at Lily with hardened eyes, the sparkle gone from her eyes. “Lily! Do not speak of his name!” she hissed.

Lily sighed and apologized to her friend and everyone else. Florean Fortescue himself came out and kindly, but firmly, asked the girls to leave his shop. “We can’t have you giving everyone here a heart attack, you know,” he explained, as he waved an apologetic hand to the quite shaken elderly witches and wizards behind him. Lily and Trin resignedly left the ice cream shop.

“Well, how much do you have left over?” Trin asked Lily.

“Um...” Lily weighed the bag in her hand. “A few Sickles left. Why?”

“Let’s go buy you an owl!” Trin exclaimed, her energy returning. “We can buy the prettiest one there!"

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. My sister is still uneasy around me. I don’t think bringing home a pet would make her feel any better.” It was true. The last two weeks had gone by with an uneasy silence between the normally close sisters. Whenever Lily tried to start a conversation with her older sister, Petunia would answer coldly and simply before turning in the other direction. Their mum had talked to Petunia about supporting her younger sister, but Petunia would throw a tantrum. It was hopeless.

“Oh, she’s being silly. Come on, please?”

Lily smiled at her new friend's playfulness. “Oh all right.” It couldn't hurt to have a companion, she reasoned.

After searching the pet shop feverishly, the two girls found the perfect owl. Lily carried her tawny owl, Blizzard, in a cage proudly out of the pet shop. Some younger children ran over to coo and sigh over her new pet.

“Oh, she is perfect!” cried Trin. “You have to promise to let me use her sometimes!”

Lily laughed. “Of course I will. You helped me pick her out. If it wasn’t for your excessive whining, I would’ve picked that black kitten!”

“True,” conceded Trin smugly.

It was late in the afternoon when the girls finally left each other. After promising to look for each other at the station, Lily went to a nearby pay phone and called her mother.

When her family arrived to pick her up, Lily found herself chatting endlessly with her mother, father, and a reluctant Petunia about her day. Petunia, who had been dragged out by her parents, shrieked at the top of her lungs when she learned she would share the back seat with not only a witch, but also an owl. However, her parents happily though reluctantly accepted Blizzard into their family.

Late at night, Lily still found herself replaying the entire day over in her mind. She smiled as she looked up at her decorated ceiling. The last thing she thought before she drifted to sleep was ‘This will be the best year of my life.’