No. A simple word, really. And yet, despite it being only a syllable long, and how it directly states a negative answer, No has been the cause of countless quarrels, debates, conspiracies, and theories – almost as many as the word Yes. Another interesting conclusion is that the word No, unlike Yes, can cross-eliminate itself, and therefore someone wishing to doubly bring their negative point across, may find themselves agreeing with the person opposite them. Contrary to popular belief, this happens quite often, and is, in fact, how this story opens, just as the sun reached the mid-day peak over the Evans household.

“No, I won’t do chores until someone explains to me why I must!� exclaimed Lily Evans, from atop a certain oaken staircase. Petunia stared down at her sister exasperatedly, altogether forgetting any form of manners she had learned while off at boarding school.

“Ms. Lily, if you do not move in the next minute, I will personally ensure that you are required to do double the amount of chores, and that you will continue to do double until you have learned how to act your age,� exclaimed Petunia in a fit of rage. Lily merely continued to glare, not moving an inch. Petunia rolled her eyes and proceeded to push Lily right off her feet so as to pass her and enter the hallway beyond.

Lily, frustrated, could not see what all the fuss was about. She just didn’t want to do her chores, and someone had yet to explain why she had to. Unwillingly, she let Petunia pass and then sat stubbornly at the top of the stairway for the next half an hour, letting her thoughts wander.

Lily had many thoughts to spend the time with. She was quite a creative girl, as any passer-by might guess from her bright red hair and her intelligent gaze. Being only 11, she would be attending Petunia’s boarding school next year along with her sister, a thought that Lily tried not to think about.

Loyers School for Young Girls was well known throughout the community. Ever since Petunia had been old enough to read and write, she had wanted to attend it. But Lily had never wanted to go there. Despite exceptional test scores and raves about the tasty food, the place had never appealed to Lily. And so, she spent most times where she found herself with nothing to do, such as now, thinking of excuses why she would not be able to attend the boarding school in the fall.

Next, Lily chose to stare at the portrait of her dad on the wall opposite. The portrait was directly above the front door, and was very special to Lily. Her father had died when she was eight, and since then her mother had remarried a man whom Lily referred to as Mark. Mark and Lily’s mom were happy together, but in Lily’s mind, no one could replace her dad.

Finally, Lily chose to count sheep, because she was very bored and could think of nothing more exciting to do.

However, this soon became a boring pastime as well, and at the moment Lily was very much in the mood for some bacon. She scooted off the steps and marched into the kitchen, an intentional frown upon her face. “This was determined right from the start to be a bad day,� she thought as she served herself several strips of bacon. Sitting alone at the table, Lily ate her snack in silence, savoring the warm taste and the pleasant beams of sun shining through the bay window across the kitchen. She had intended to meet her best friend Mary Jane today at the park, but an unpleasant illness had prevented Mary from leaving the house.

When Lily had finished eating and had left her plate on the table in a rebellious spirit, she headed out doors to count blue jays. As she soon found out however, there were not many blue jays this time of year, despite the constant bird songs flowing in the air. There was, however, an owl, which would be considered very rare to any bird watcher in the vicinity. However, Lily was no bird watcher, and therefore did not notice anything out of the ordinary. As she hummed to herself and stared into the sky, a new thought occurred to her, one of surprising resentment. The thought was of running away.

Here was an option Lily had never taken a moment to consider. As soon as the thought popped into her head, she regretted it. She loved her family, her friends, her life. And yet, something always seemed to be missing. Still, to even imagine… Lily stood up in disgust and stalked back into the house.

With nothing left to do, Lily pulled out a book from the large shelf in the foyer. The book was entitled A Monotonous Study of Life and was quite suited for Lily’s current mood. Plopping herself on a plaid sofa near the door, she engrossed herself in dreary philosophy. She became so entranced in her book that she hardly noticed when the doorbell rang with a cheery dong an hour later.

Pulling herself to her feet, Lily crossed the threshold and held open the door. It was her neighbor, a boy named James Potter. Lily had never particularly enjoyed James’s company, and was reluctant to invite him into the house. She did so, however, and tried to think of something polite to say.

She didn’t need to though, because James was quick to begin a conversation. “I brought a cricket bat and ball. Want to go down to the park and practice? You can hit first if you want.� Lily did not like the game cricket, and was glad of an excuse to rid herself of James.

“I’m sorry James, but I’m not terribly good at cricket, and I would only make your day less pleasant if I were to accompany you.� James could not be swayed however, and started to throw the cricket ball unusually high into the air in frustration. Lily’s eyes followed the ball as she listened to James describe the many ways to improve her skill at cricket. Up, down, up, down. The motion was almost like a metronome Lily decided.

“Lils, are you listening?� Caught by surprise, she could only nod her head. “Good, then what are you waiting for? The sun won’t stay up forever.� She nodded again and went to search for her shoes. It was possible to hear James throwing the ball behind her as she walked into the kitchen. Just as she pushed her feet into her shoes, Lily heard a distant crash in the foyer. Not good.

Turning slowly as to reduce sudden panic, she walked back into the foyer feeling very tired. Standing on the staircase was Petunia and James, both of them looking horrified at the shattered glass on the ground.

No emotion washed over Lily. She merely stood there and blinked, frozen in place. After a few moments, she reminded herself to breathe. Slowly, ever so slowly, she acknowledged that the last remnant of her father was lying in a billion pieces across the front entrance floor. In the midst of the shattered glass was a baseball. No, she would not accept it. She floated up the stairs to her bedroom without a backward glance. In the distance, she heard Petunia yelling, James arguing back. She forced herself not to listen, convinced herself that it was just the humming of the bees. Without removing her muddy shoes, Lily collapsed on the bed and blanked out.



When Lily woke, it was bright; the sun was directly overhead. Petunia was standing beside her, shaking her gently. Petunia smiled down at her, and pulled her to her feet. “Come on Lily, let’s take a walk.�

It was dark when they got home. There was a message on the answering machine from James. “Lils – I’m sorry, it wasn’t my fault. The ball just jumped out of my hand…� Lily didn’t bother listening to the rest. Instead she flipped on the TV and watched the news. Not that she took in any of it. She was thinking about the walk. That creepy Severus kid had been there. He read way too much science fiction. But then again, what if he had been right? He had seemed so … sincere. Lily fell asleep lost in thought, on the couch in the front of the TV.

The next morning, the kitchen was a hubbub of activity. Lily’s mom, Mark, and Petunia were all going shopping for new school supplies. As Lily passed her mom on the way to the sink, her mom stopped her and held out an envelope. “This came in the mail, it was addressed to you. I didn’t think I should open it,� she admitted, and hurried out to the car where her husband and older daughter waited. Curious, Lily sat down with a plate of eggs and surveyed her letter. It had no stamp, was made of a thick, yellowish parchment, and had a red seal of wax on the back. She pried it open and took in the emerald green handwriting. The first few words took her breath away.


Dear Miss. Evans,
We are pleased to inform you that you have accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl no later than July 31.

Yours Sincerely,
Professor Dumbledore, Headmaster


To Lily these words were like a dream, an impossible, surreal dream. But it didn’t matter to her, nothing mattered except the prospect of escape so close. Could this be the moment she had waited for all her life, had known deep down was looming nearer? Was this really what she wanted, more than anything else? Lily closed her eyes, and nodded to herself. And she said, possibly to the world at large, “Yes.�

Striding off the Hogwarts Express in her midnight black robes, Lily Evans took in the scene. A strong wind blew her hair in every direction, and tall evergreens wavered back and forth across the sky. In the distance, an outline of the castle could be seen through the clouds. Pulling her cloak close, she hauled her luggage across the platform, hurrying towards where an abnormally large man stood calling the first years.

Around him, several students were huddled together, including James and his new friends whom she had decided to ignore. Severus had stayed behind to gather his luggage, which had fallen out of his suitcase as he picked it up. Shivering, Lily stood off to the side and breathed in the cool air. It was surprisingly refreshing and cleared her mind.

Eventually, it came time to board a fleet of small boats, and still Sev had not appeared. Anxious, Lily climbed into a less crowded one, where two girls sat in silence. Both of them were bent over and rubbing their hands together. Deciding that it was time she made some new friends too, Lily searched for a discussion starter. “Are you…�

As soon as she opened her mouth, however, one of the girls looked up and glared at her, and Lily quieted abruptly. Maybe it was best if she waited until they were in the castle before attempting conversation.

Making herself comfortable at the back of the boat, she watched the water pass underneath her as the fleet magically soared over the dusky lake. If she stared hard enough, she could make out a pale face surrounded by red hair staring back at her from the depths. The girl in the reflection looked frightened, and Lily decided that she would not be like her. She put on a brave mask and looked instead ahead of her, where the illuminated castle waited.

~*~

Where was Severus? Lily could not help but notice that he still hadn’t joined the group of first years. They were gathered around a large staircase, at the top of which stood a young woman with her hair in a tight bun. The two girls from the boat stood behind Lily, and James was with his friends at the front of the group. The woman stared down at the children until a hushed silence fell upon them.

“Now that you have decided to be quiet, I would like to introduce myself as Professor McGonagall. When I tell you, you will enter the hall behind these doors,� she gestured behind herself, “and form a line. I will then call you to sit on a stool. You will place the Sorting Hat upon your head, and then join your table. The Sorting will begin momentarily.�

She then turned away, and began ticking off names on a sheet of parchment. Deciding that this was some form of roll call, Lily looked back at the two girls from the boat. “Where do you think you’ll be Sorted?� she asked them, aware that the other students were talking about this as well. The taller of the girls merely shrugged, but the other one responded enthusiastically.

“I’ve heard that Hufflepuff is the way to go, but I’m not really sure. Gryffindor would be fine too, I guess. So long as it’s not Slytherin.� She laughed and then extended a hand. “I’m Isabella by the way. We rode in the same boat, didn’t we?�

Lily nodded, glad that someone was finally acting friendly. She reached out and shook the hand, though she was a bit unnerved. Hadn’t Severus said he had hoped to get into Slytherin? “I’m Lily. I…err, I don’t really know where I want to go.� She actually wanted to be in Slytherin with Sev, but didn’t want to make a bad impression on the first girl who spoke to her.

At that moment, Professor McGonagall returned her attention to the group, and together they stepped out of the stairway and into the warm hall beyond.

~*~

What in the world were they thinking? Lily was staring down at a silver platter that contained a delicate purple pudding in which there were several meatballs, an assortment of cheeses, and some chives. Somehow, she couldn’t quite grasp the fact that all three girls to the left of her were loading their plates with it, and the boy to her right had already eaten more than half of the mountain that he had dumped on his plate. As she continued to stare, the copper-haired girl opposite her turned her attention to Lily, who was starting to feel rather sick.

“It’s not as bad as it looks you know,� the girl said, noticing Lily’s disgusted expression. Lily looked up, and raised her eyebrows. “It really isn’t. In fact, all of this food is very good, especially these,� the girl continued while gesturing to some miniature cone-shaped pies. Lily noticed that the girl’s plate was full as well. She then ventured a glance at the Slytherin table, where Severus was sitting gloomily by himself. He had hurried into the hall right before the sorting began, scooting into line undetected by all except her. Lily wanted to join him, but she felt that it would be uncharacteristic of a Gryffindor such as herself to sit at another table. After all, the other Gryffindors hadn’t said one good word about another house in the time that she had spent at their table. Later, she would find out the details of his tardiness, but not now. So instead she turned away and searched the table for something remotely like what she was used to eating.

She found some nice chicken surrounded by potatoes and squash, and then at dessert there was good cake with chocolate syrup dripping down its sides. After tasting these, Lily decided that despite the magical atmosphere the food was nothing more than unique, and that she would acquire a taste for it eventually. Letting her fork and napkin drop gingerly on her plate, she turned her attention to the front of the room. There, a man who Lily could only assume was the Headmaster was standing up.

“Welcome, everyone, to an exciting new year at Hogwarts.� The Headmaster smiled serenely and most of the students clapped. “I hope you have all had a wonderful summer, and are excited to being classes. However, before I can dismiss you to your beds there are a few things I need to cover.� He paused here, looking around the room. “I’d like to introduce a new teacher this year. Professor Gretchington will be teaching Astronomy.� Here the professor stood, and the students clapped again politely.

“Also,� the Headmaster continued, “I’m happy to introduce a new activity for the older students. Four times a year, there will be a trip to Hogsmeade. Only third years and up are permitted, and they should have received a permission slip in the mail this summer.� Lily looked around at the older Gryffindors; they were all talking excitedly and smirking. The Headmaster quieted them down and resumed his speech.

“On a more serious note, I’m sure that you will notice a large, new tree on the grounds tomorrow. The tree was a present, and is extremely valuable. It is crucial that you do not go near the tree, as it has a built-in security system and can be extremely harmful. A blow from one of its branches is rather worse that a Bludger to the head. I will go no further in this matter, except to suggest that you take my advice to heart.�

Before Lily could hear what he had to say next, there was a light tap on her shoulder. She looked up, curious to know who wanted a word. To her horror, Professor McGonagall stood there, eyeing her with distaste. Nobody had noticed the professor sneak up; the students were immersed in what the Headmaster had to say. McGonagall motioned for Lily to follow her, so Lily quietly slipped off the Gryffindor bench. Just as they exited the Great Hall, Lily noticed that heads were starting to turn. Their exit had not gone unnoticed.

In the Entrance Hall, Lily shivered without the warmth from the candles in the Great Hall. She was mortified at what was happening and could not help but thinking every few minutes that maybe this was a dream. McGonagall was surely going to tell her that there’d been a mistake, and that Lily wasn’t a witch after all. They’d erase her memory; she’d never even know that Hogwarts existed. Somehow, Lily couldn’t even take it in, which was maybe for the best. Maybe they’d finish the task before she could really feel the loss. McGonagall turned and faced her, and Lily braced herself for the worst.

“Miss Evans, I do not know what you think you’re playing at, but I thought that the Hogwarts rules were perfectly clear. And if they weren’t, I would think that the second letter Dumbledore sent to your family would clarify any misunderstandings. But it seems that it did not. What do you have to say for yourself?� McGonagall looked Lily straight in the eye and waited for an answer.

Lily was confused, what had she done wrong? But whatever it was, it was obviously bad, and now Lily’s heart sunk. Would her family be punished as well? Was she going to go to Azkaban? Exactly how bad a crime had she committed? Lily’s urge to ask these questions was strong, but instead she looked at the floor and shook her head.

No one spoke for a minute, and Lily was afraid to look up. Finally McGonagall broke the silence with a long exhale. “Miss Evans, do you understand what I am talking about?� Again, Lily shook her head. “Well, let me remind you. I don’t know how you managed to pull this off, or how you got it in your head that you could, but I certainly do know that you made one big mistake.� Lily furrowed her brows, puzzled, and McGonagall continued. “I am of course referring to the fact that your sister is here at Hogwarts.� And when Lily Evans finally lifted her eyes, she was looking into Petunia’s.

As Lily boarded the train, Petunia stared angrily at her sister. Though she had denied it, and insisted Lily was wrong, she still wanted to go to Hogwarts - more than anything. Who were these wizards to decide that they, and only they, could do magic? Who were they to choose Lily and not her? Rage gushed through her like an ocean through a small canal.

The train whistled, and Petunia noticed that her parents were momentarily distracted with waving goodbye to Lily. In that instant, a thought occurred to her, a wild, crazy thought. It did not occur to Petunia that she had no luggage with her, or that she lacked a train ticket. All that mattered was that the train was about to leave, and Petunia would make sure she left with it.

She scooted onto it just as the wheels began to move. With a look behind her, Petunia saw her parents looking for her curiously. Let them look, she thought miserably.

Struggling down the aisle, Petunia tried to avoid the gaze of others around her. She felt like an intruder, and lowered her face so it would not be completely visible. What she needed was a place to hide, at least until they arrived at Hogwarts. Then she would find a way into the building and insist that the people in charge had forgotten to add her name to the list. Maybe once she was situated, she could borrow some of Lily’s clothes until her parents sent her own.

She was nearly to the end of the aisle when she saw the Snape kid. He was wearing black robes that matched his messy black hair, and he was peering into compartments, probably looking for Lily. He finally slid into one, and following suit, Petunia jumped into the one next to it. Alone and starting to feel afraid, Petunia forgot her anger towards her sister, and decided that it would be best to be as close to her as possible without being detected.

The train ride was long and uneventful. Nobody had joined her compartment. Petunia stared out the window for the majority of it, planning her life at Hogwarts. Naturally, once she learned magic, she would prove herself to be better at it than any of the other children, especially Lily.

But after a time the lonely compartment was immensely boring, and this was not helped by the loud roars of laughter from the compartment next door. One of the voices sounded like James’, Lily’s old friend. So apparently he was a wizard, too. Was everyone but her magical?

Petunia’s stomach was roaring with hunger. A trolley had come by, but the food had looked nasty and potentially dangerous. Besides, she had no money. Hopefully there would be food at the school. For now, however, Petunia could do nothing except sit back and wait.

~*~

There was a crash in the corridor and voices yelling loudly. Petunia was still in her compartment, though everyone else was leaving. She figured it would be best to get off the train alone. Peering into the corridor, she noticed that Snape had dropped his trunk in the corridor, and several pairs of trainers and a couple books were scattered across the floor. Petunia scoffed and watched Snape urge Lily to go on without him. He was probably dying from embarrassment.

When Snape and Petunia were the last people on the train, Petunia made her decision. She emerged from her compartment, trying to smile politely. She realized that she might need a bit of help soon. “Hey, Severus,� she said in her smoothest voice.

Severus looked up, alarmed. When he saw who was talking to him, his eyes narrowed. “Petunia, what are you doing here? The headmaster told you that you couldn’t come! And you’ve made Lily miserable with how you treated her. They’ll send you back, you know. You don’t belong here…� He closed his trunk with a snap and heaved it off the ground.

Offended, Petunia took on a defensive manner. “I’m sorry, I hadn’t meant to make Lily mad at you for showing her the letter. And I’ve thought it through - they can’t send me back once I’ve proven that I can do magic.� None of this was technically true, but Petunia was quite oblivious to the truth at the moment.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. “And just think of how happy Lily will be when she sees me. And if you help me get up to the school, she’ll be so pleased with you. We’re like best friends and she’s been so sad that I won’t be coming with her. I won’t be able to sneak in alone.�

~*~

The shabby castle looked like a joke. It was covered in vines, and the stone walls were crumbling, making it possibly the least appealing place for a human gathering, let alone a school. The originally white stone had faded quickly into gray, and large pieces of debris covered the lawn. Pinned to the gate was a large sign that read: Keep Out. Dangerous Building. It was written like graffiti and it hung loosely. On the whole, it was not a pleasant sight.

Petunia stared at the large castle in disgust. This was where wizards went to learn? Maybe she didn’t want to go here anymore; after all, if the outside was this bad, what was the inside like?

A tap on the shoulder made Petunia jump; she suddenly remembered she was not alone on the Hogsmeade train platform. Severus Snape, the boy next door, was leaning slightly from the weight of his trunk, and smiling broadly. Ew.

Snape and Petunia had apparently missed any form of transportation up to the looming castle, so they grudgingly trudged up the dirt path. It was a long walk, and the harsh wind was not helping. Petunia kept tripping on overgrown weeds, but Snape seemed to be walking easily, despite his heavy trunk. Petunia had worried about the danger sign on the gate, but had not said anything. She didn’t want to look afraid.

Snape, on the other hand, seemed to be oddly excited to be walking towards the run-down castle. He had at once agreed to help Petunia after she had mentioned Lily. She had always thought that boy had a thing for her sister, but now she would have to keep an eye on him.

Finally, they reached the huge front door, which had another danger sign on it. Feeling that she could no longer hold back a growing sense of uneasiness, she turned to Snape. “Don’t you find it a bit odd that this castle hasn’t been used in centuries? And that sign – I don’t think someone put that there by accident,� she said, her voice quivering slightly.

Snape looked up at her strangely. “A sign?� He sneered at her. “Are you imagining things, Petunia?� He continued to stare at her as though she had just suggested the world was a cube. He quickly dismissed it though, and brought up the topic that Petunia had been hoping to avoid. “So I think maybe you should skip the feast, you don’t want to make a big deal in front of everyone when they don’t call your name for the Sorting. Just hide out in an empty classroom and follow Lily and me to the Slytherin common room afterwards. Then tomorrow you can tell the teachers that they forgot to add you to the class list or something.�

Petunia considered this. It seemed like a good idea to her, but it also brought up another problem. “But Severus, I’m going to be older than everyone else in our classes. Will I have to lie about my age?�

“I guess so, Petunia,� Snape said dismissively, and together they pulled open the crumbling doors.

~*~

The inside was no better than the outside. A chandelier lay on the floor, glittering crystals splayed across the tiles. A large staircase extended magnificently, or it would have, had it not been for the several missing steps and broken railing. Weeds poked their heads through cracks in the structure. But somehow, from the attached hall, came the loud voices of hundreds of students.

Snape slipped quietly into a line of waiting first years that extended to the open doors of the hall. This left Petunia to find an empty classroom, which turned out to be an easy task. The classroom she found was dusty and had several upturned desks. The windows were cracked and gushes of wind were periodically blowing through them.

Petunia shivered. She wanted to be in the hall eating with the other students. She wanted to be Sorted into a house and complain to her friends about the dirty state of this place. And she needed to go to the bathroom.

After searching through the halls, Petunia found a lavatory relatively close by. It was in disgusting condition, and Petunia was worried that all the bathrooms would be like this one. When she was done, she exited and started looking for her classroom again. Unfortunately, she ran into trouble.

A tall, imposing lady almost knocked into her. She looked down at Petunia from beneath her glasses. “Excuse me, what are you doing outside the Great Hall? The students’ bathroom is located there.�

Petunia struggled for words. “Oh, I’m… I’m sorry, ma’am. I’m new here.�

The woman continued to look down at her, now a little confused. “I see. What was your name again? I don’t remember seeing you among the other first years. And where are your school robes? You know they are school policy.�

Uh oh. “Petunia Evans, ma’am. Well, I missed the transportation up to the school, you see, so I had to walk, and then I couldn’t find where everyone was. But my sister, Lily Evans, she has school robes that I was hoping to borrow. I, erm, lost mine.� It was the truth, but also a lame excuse.

“I was not aware Miss Evans had a sister. Unless…� Her eyes widened. “Miss Evans, you have some explaining to do,� she said, emphasizing the last word with an awful finality.

~*~

Petunia could not be at Hogwarts. It simply was not believable to Lily, who stood stunned and speechless in the Great Hall. Hadn’t she given up the idea? Looking back, Lily realized that her sister had been so furious on the train platform, that a second reaction would have seemed the best solution to Petunia, at least at the time.

The atmosphere was tense here; both McGonagall and Petunia seemed to be waiting for Lily to speak, so finally, she crossed the threshold and faced her sister.

“Hey, Tuny!� Her voice was far too bright for the situation, and Lily knew it. “I got you some Chocolate Frogs on the train ride. They’re really excellent; Sev showed me how to eat them and…� She trailed off, casting around for something to say. Anything might raise her sister’s emotions, and Lily wasn’t keen to remind her that she was not allowed at Hogwarts.

Petunia, after a moment’s hesitation, looked up and simply shook her head. In life, everyone will give up at something. Petunia knew no one will ever win everything they come across, even if they appear to do so. Inside there will always be defeat. The sense of hopelessness felt in this condition is unsurpassed by any emotion, except for perhaps its equivalent, which is passion.

But now, Petunia felt nothing but despair as she stared into her sister’s eyes. It had finally dawned on her that she would never belong here with magical wands and words.

Lily understood this, and felt an urge to reach out to Petunia. Lily knew what it felt like not to belong. But in the end, after one has experienced such distress from absolute failure, all they can do is pull back from any kind hand, and hope they will heal on their own.

So Lily stayed where she was. She answered McGonagall’s harsh questions with denial of any formal knowledge. She watched McGonagall march away with Petunia, knowing that her sister would soon be gone from the castle. Only when she was alone, did she begin to cry.