Dearest Readers,

01/09/71 - Cokeworth, England

Lily-Jane Evans was an odd duck. She stuck out like a sore thumb with her ginger hair in a family full of brunettes, she often questioned to herself if she was even a part of the right family or if her parents took the wrong baby home from the hospital. Of course that was a questioned she asked herself almost everyday when she started showing signs of accidental magic ,not that she knew what that was at first, not until she met a boy who could do it too. Severus Snape, he was a boy who lived a few streets away and he was her age, Lily always thought that it was fate. Her first friend was just like her and he understood her even better than Tuney did. She spent most of her days going out to a field near her house with Severus to practice magic, Lily liked to make the flowers bloom whilst Severus just watched and talked about all the lessons they teach at Hogwarts, especially potions. Lily thought that it sounded a lot like chemistry and that was her favourite lesson in primary school, she had said as much to Sev and he had offered to bring one of his potion books for her to read one day. She had jumped at the chance to learn more about the magical world she was supposedly apart of. And of course the book was amazing, even better than her current fixations of anything by Jane Austin. She had asked a lot of questions and surprisingly, Sev hadn't told her it was annoying or to stop.

That book was just her first look into a new world and she couldn't wait for what else she could learn, and Lily wasn't exactly someone who loved to study or read something that wasn't a fairy tale or fiction. But everyday after that Severus would bring a different magical book for her to read, and sometimes he would read it to her whilst she daydreamed about Hogwarts, and a place called Diagonally. And when Lily turned eleven and received her letter, 'miss L. Evans the bedroom on the left side of the hall', she was ecstatic and immediately ran to Severus' house to tell him she would be going to Hogwarts with him. Her parents were extremely proud of her and told her almost everyday since she got the letter, while on the other hand Tuney had taken to ignoring her or calling her 'a freak'. Lily wasn't sure exactly what she had done to make Tuney so upset. As the months went by leading to today, September 1, Lily got more anxious than excited, worried she wouldn't fit in there either and yet again be alone and isolated in a completely strange place. When she had brought up her worries to Sev he had said 'cheer up Lily-Jane, I'll be there the whole time for you'. He had managed to calm her enough to get her parents to take her to the station, and to run through the wall (which was a bit scary, Lily had to admit).

But now stood on the platform around people in long robes and pointy hats 'they really weren't being the witch stereotype' Lily mused staring a particularly scary woman with black hair and high cheekbones that was scolding her son and looked as if everyone around her was dirt on the bottom of her shoes. Lily now was getting extremely overwhelmed and was contemplating telling her parents to just take her home when a blonde girl knocked her of her feet.

"Sorry!" The blonde girl shouted running away, not even bothering to check if Lily was okay. A hand was in front of her, it was Sev.

"Are you okay, Lily?" Severus was the only person to call her by her actual name, everyone just called her Lily or in her parents case Flower. A very obvious nickname for a girl named after the Lily of the Valley flower.

"I'm okay Sev, she was probably just excited." She pushed her red hair out of her face as he pulled her up and towards his mother, with her parents following. "Hello, Mrs Snape." Severus' mother was a very classy woman who didn't really like Lily, even when she tried really hard to get her to.

Mrs Snape just ignored her instead turning to her son to say goodbye and quite literally disappeared from the spot she was stood. Mr and Mrs Evans turned to their daughter. "Flower if things get to bad just remember, the steps you take don't have to be big, just take you in the right direction." This was something he dad had said for as long as Lily could remember.

"I know dad. I'll be fine anyway, I have to go now." The train whistle was blowing, making Lily rush giving her parents a hug before getting on the train.

Letting out a breath, Lily looked around as the train pulled out of the station. This was it! A whole new world to explore and learn about. There were people everywhere, older kids who knew where they were going greeting people as they went to find carriages or their friends, whilst the younger kids looked confused, they must be first years too, and had no idea where to go. Some had there wands out using them to make their trunks float behind them as they walked. Lily was in awe, she had never seen this much magic before only what her and Sev had done over the summer.

"Here, Lily." Severus waved her over to a compartment that had two boys in. The first was a darker skinned boy with the most unruly hair Lily had ever seen, he had obnoxiously big glasses on that seemed to cover most of his face, he was wearing semi normal clothes. The other boy was the one she saw getting told of by his mother. He was almost paler than herself, he had neat curly hair and grey eyes he looked like he belonged there. Whilst Lily looked like she belonged on a farm, in her dungarees. "Do you mind if we sit here?" Lily asked hovering in the doorway ready to run if they said no.

"Sure you can!" The boy with the glasses exclaimed. "Plenty of room for a pretty girl like you." The compliment made her blush out of embarrassment, nobody except her parents had ever complimented her before.

Severus scowled, moving into the compartment first Lily sitting opposite him next to the boy who had yet to speak. "Thank you." Lily turned to the boy next to her, offering her hand, "I'm Lily." She introduced herself. "This is my friend Severus." Nodding to him.

"Sirius Black." The boy spoke a little confidence entering him as he shook her hand. "This is James Potter." The boy who hadn't stopped staring at her nodding dumbly.

As if sensing Lily's judgement of him, he started a conversation. "What house are you hoping to get put in?" James asked. "I'm hoping for Gryffindor, where dwell the brave of heart." He dramatically stood on his seat brandishing a pretend sword. Sev scoffed under his breathe clearly disagreeing.

"If you want brawn over brains sure." He muttered sarcastically.

James jumped down from the seat facing Severus. "Well where are you hoping to get then without either?" He questioned making Sirius snort, earning a glare from Lily.

Gong red from embarrassment Sev replied. "Slytherin."

"Who would want to go in Slytherin." James shivered, turning to Sirius for back-up. This whole conversation was confusing Lily. What were the houses?

"My whole family's been in Slytherin." He said glumly.

"Blimey, and I thought you were alright!"

Smirking Sirius perks up. "Who knows maybe I'll be the first to break tradition."

Severus scoffed again as if thinking that was nothing but a dream.

"Your in no place to judge, Snivellous. You willingly want to be a snake." James mocked him. "You could do with finding better friends Lily." Turning to her as if she would side with him.

No Lily was red with anger, who did these idiots think they were. "Come on Sev lets go find somewhere else to sit." Grabbing his hand she tugged him out of the compartment hearing the two boys mock Severus as the looked for a new compartment. They found one a few down with a girl and two boys, who looked to be first years as well. She quickly knocked on the door before opening it.

"Do you mind if we sit here?" She asked trying to calm her ager down. Getting an overenthusiastic yes from the girl she tugged Severus in with her choosing to sit next to the girl with Sev on her other side.

Turning to thank the girl Lily realised something. "You were the girl who knocked me over on the platform." Her anger was unexpectedly back. The blonde girl winced and was quick to explain her younger brother had managed to slip away from her parent and she had spotted him. "Sorry, red. I'm McKinnon by the way, Marlene McKinnon." She stuck her hand out.

"Lily Evans, blondie." Lily joked back bringing a smile to the girls face. "This is Severus, my friend." She nudged him making him look up from his book momentarily before going back to it, having not said anything.

"This is Pete. Known him forever." She nodded to the quiet sort of shy boy in the corner.

The other boy was also quiet and had scars on his face, he was sort of scrawny. "Remus Lupin." The boy stuttered when he realised Lily was staring with an eyebrow raised clearly waiting to hear his name.

The rest of the train ride continued with Marlene telling Lily about lots of new things, like Quidditch. And conversing with Remus about books and talking to Peter about cooking as it was something they had learned they both loved to do. Severus was as usual silent the entire ride. When the train had stopped they were escorted by a very big man to boats and rode them to the other side of the 'black lake', they then mad to wait for Professor McGonagall.

Once they were lead into the hall Professor McGonagall held a hat and piece of parchment and called their names for them to be sorted.

"Black, Sirius." He was the first name called, the boy had turned even more paler if that was possible. The hat was on his head for nearly a minute before it called 'Gryffindor'.

"Evans, Lily." She was nervous, lots of people staring at her as she sat with the hat on her head. 'hmmm' that scared her, was that voice coming from the hat? 'a lot to prove, eh? Well I know exactly what to do to help you with that'. 'Gryffindor'.

All the people at the red table cheered as she made her way there and sat opposite Sirius who was in shock. Next a girl joined them, she introduced herself as Alice Fortescue.

When the sorting was over and the prefects had led the first years to their dorms for the next seven years the new Gryffindors were:

James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Mary McDonald, Marlene McKinnon, Alice Fortescue, and Lily Evans.

What that group of eleven year olds didn't know was that their stories were just beginning and would not have a happily ever after.