August 1971
Lily
August 12, 1971
Lily sat at the kitchen table, resting her chin on her hands and staring out the open window. The curtains swayed gently in the breeze, rippling against the windowsill. She could see her mother’s flower gardens, and smell freshly cut grass. Suddenly, a brown, speckled owl flew in the window, chirping impatiently and brandishing a letter wrapped around its foot. Lily gaped at the owl, but reached over and gently took the letter. She gripped it in her fingertips and stared at the seal that read, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. When she read the letter, she was even more shocked.
Lily had always sensed there was something different about her. She’d felt it in primary school, where she’d been on the outside, as if the other children were all in the same place, and Lily was somewhere else, drifting farther and farther away. She’d also felt it with her family, especially Petunia, ever since she had begun showing signs of magic. Not everyone could make flowers grow in seconds, or make dolls move on their own. But Lily could, and so could Severus. He had moved into her neighborhood when she was ten, about a year before the letter came. It gave Lily a strong sense of companionship to be around someone else like herself, someone else who was different. Severus had called normal people “muggles”, and said that Lily was a witch. She hadn’t believed him at first, but given what the letter said, he had been telling the truth.
Her mother and father walked in the kitchen then, bright-faced and carrying bags from the market they had gone to.
“Who’s the post from, love?” Her mother asked cheerfully.
Lily had no idea how to respond, unable to find the words to explain that apparently a wizard headmaster from a school full of people who could do magic wanted her to attend a place called Hogwarts.(What kind of name for a school was that, anyway?) And also, that the letter had arrived tied around the foot of a regal looking owl. Instead of trying to explain, she handed the letter to her parents.
Lily held her breath as she watched them. She hadn’t had time to decide her feelings on the school, and she had no idea how her parents would react. Her mother’s blue eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. Her father read over her mother’s shoulder and had the same expression a moment later.
They were completely aghast of course, as Lily had figured, but they were also very proud. Lily’s mother told her that she thought there had been a witch in their family generations before, and that Lily must have gotten her magic from there. They were thrilled at the prospect of Lily being accepted into a school, and Lily was overjoyed with their pride. Petunia was the opposite, unfortunately, but Lily was trying not to think about it too much. It was easier to pretend it didn’t hurt.
The next day, she ran to Severus’ house to tell him the news.
“Severus!” she called, knocking on the door. “You were right, I got a letter about Hogwarts!”
She heard his footsteps bounding down the stairs, and he came running out the door. They walked to the park, and he began talking quickly and excitedly. He told her about Hogwarts for hours; the castle (It was a castle?!), the ghosts (the ghosts?!), and something about them being in a group called “Slytherin” together.
She fell asleep that night, pondering Hogwarts. She still had a million questions, and so many doubts, but she had always wanted to live in a castle.