Lily flew up the stairs and into her small, messy bedroom at the end of the hall. She slammed the door behind her, flung herself facedown on her bed, and let the tears fall. She sobbed and sobbed, releasing the emotion she’d struggled to contain ever since the Minister for Magic had given her the grave news, twenty minutes ago…
Lily and Petunia Evans were having a fight. Again.
“Honestly, Petunia, it’s not like this is my fault!” Lily said, keeping her tone even and her expression controlled.
Several of Petunia’s friends had come round to the Evans’ house, and they had been questioning Lily about her school. Eventually, Lily had made a lame excuse to leave the room, and Petunia’s friends had left soon after (Lily had watched them leave through a keyhole) with looks of curiosity on their faces. The minute the door had closed behind them, Petunia had found Lily and demanded to know what she had been thinking.
“Your fault! YOUR FAULT! Of course, you’d flounce away to that bloody school! You’d come home every summer and tell Mum and Dad how wonderful it is to go there, all the fabulous things you’re learning! You’d be the reason my friends are convinced I’m from a family of freaks! And now you’re telling me it’s not your fault?” Petunia screamed.
Lily was stunned. She’d always known Petunia was resentful about not being magic, or perhaps just the fact that her sister was. But she had had no idea that her older-by-two-years sister felt this way.
“Petunia, I”“
“Oh, don’t Petunia me! Mum and Dad are always saying how talented dear Lily is. ‘Petunia, why can’t you be more like your sister?’ ‘It’s a shame that you’re not more like Lily.’ You’re a freak! An insufferable freak!”
Lily could feel tears prickling at her bright green eyes. She blinked them back”she would not give her sister the satisfaction of seeing them.
Petunia’s mouth was open, ready to yell herself hoarse, when the doorbell rang.
Instantly, Lily bolted to the staircase. She did not want to be seen, in case more of Petunia’s friends had come. She crouched in a space on the stairs that, she had discovered recently, was an excellent place to see and not be seen. She looked on as Petunia opened the door.
“Ah, hello. Petunia, is it? Petunia Evans?” Without waiting for a reply, the pudgy man at the door stepped across the threshold. He stuck out a fat hand for Petunia to shake. She took it, reluctantly.
“I’m Theodore Eugene, Minister for Magic,” the chubby man said. Petunia let out an audible gasp at the word “magic” and quickly withdrew her hand. “Your sister, Lily, as I’m sure you know, attends Hogwarts?”
“Yes,” Petunia said through gritted teeth.
“Well, then, if she’s in residence, kindly ensure that she knows I’m here. I would like to speak with her.” Though the Minister’s voice was light and pleasant, it wobbled a little and his face was grave.
“Yes.” Petunia said again, her voice flat and sullen. She hurried to the edge of the stairs and yelled, “Lily! Come down right now!”
Lily, who knew that Petunia was aware of where she was, stood up and sprinted down the stairs, wondering what possible reason there could be for the Minister of Magic to come to her house, of all places. She found the minister in the living room with his back to her, observing a snow-globe with interest. Lily cleared her throat a little, and the minister jumped and turned around. Upon seeing Lily, he smiled.
“Oh, hello. Lily, I presume.”
“Yes, sir.”
They shook hands. The Minister dropped into an armchair and indicated to Lily to do the same.
Petunia, meanwhile, who had been silent, standing with folded arms in the corner, suddenly seemed to think this the time to leave. But before she took two steps out of the room, the Minister made a little noise to stop her, then motioned to a third armchair. Petunia reluctantly sat down. When she had done so, the Minister took this as his cue to begin.
“Now, girls,” the Minister began, looking from Lily’s emerald eyes to Petunia’s dull brown ones. “I know you will be able to handle this information. Petunia, you must be”twenty?”
“Nineteen, actually,” Petunia corrected dully.
“Oh. Well. And Lily, you came of age over the summer, of course…last year at Hogwarts…my, my, how they grow…
“I know this will come as a shock to you, girls.” The Minister looked very serious. “Your”“
“Is this about that freak school she goes to?” Petunia interrupted rudely, pointing a bony finger in Lily’s direction.
“Actually, it is not,” the Minister replied, completely ignoring Petunia’s rudeness, “Do you know where your parents are?”
“Yes,” Lily responded, speaking up for the first time. “They went on a drive, they told us they’d be home at five.”
“Indeed,” the Minister said, looking at the grandfather clock, which read four-forty-five. “I”I have very sad news for you both.”
Both girls sat up in their chairs. This had to do with Mum and Dad.
“Your parents were”they were attacked. By Dementors.”
“Dementors?” Petunia interrupted a second time. “What are those?”
“They are Dark creatures that guard the wizard prison, Azkaban,” Lily replied at once. “They can give the Kiss, which…sucks out your soul.”
Petunia gasped, but nodded for the Minister to continue.
“Your father managed to escape, but your mother…”
“Are you”are you saying that …that Mum was…” Lily stammered; her throat did not seem to be working properly.
“I’m so sorry. She was…killed.”
There was a horrible silence as Petunia and Lily digested this information. Upon realization, Petunia’s eyes went glassy, then she promptly burst into tears. Lily, however, just sat there.
Her mother…killed…Death Eaters…. Thoughts ran round her brain. She didn’t know what to do or say. She felt numb; she could not function. Through this terrible fog of thought she heard the Minister’s voice again and was brought back to earth. The Minister had conjured a box of tissues and Petunia was blowing her nose; apparently she had calmed down some.
“I know this is terrible news for you. I want you to know that you have my sincerest condolences. Your father is in St. Mungo’s with minor injuries. I will set up a visiting time…”
Lily couldn’t believe it. Her own mother…
She sat up, sniffling. She would have to be strong. If Petunia ever saw her in this state…
Now was not the time to worry. Now was the time to plan.