July 15,1971, Hackney
It was said of Lily Marie Evans that once she had her heart set on something,there was no stopping her. Those who knew her would agree with that. She had fiery red hair,bright green eyes that seemed to look right through you,a pretty turned-up nose,long (for her age) tanned legs,and a penchant for making mischief.
When she wasn't in school or at home she could be found at the Green Park duck pond feeding the ducks with penny candy,at the shops buying the penny candy (and soda),at the Aldermast Library reading about long-ago princes or how to cook Indian food,or at King's Cross Station wandering. She was friends with all the ticket passers and busboys.
Which isn't to say that she didn't have friends her own age,however. There was Cameron Jones,whose dad was Aldermast's reference librarian. There was Elyse Ranford,whose dad ran a brunch restaurant in Harpenden that catered to a wealthy crowd. There was Nick Sturbridge,who knew all the latest football news.
And there was Severus Snape. Lily had been on the brink of turning eight when she met Severus in an alleyway. An older boy with russet hair had been pestering him,but had run away for some reason when he saw Lily. Perhaps he was afraid of girls.
Severus himself was her own age,she had learned that afternoon,a tall boy with ratty black hair and a hooked nose like some fairy tale witch. She'd brought him to her own house for dinner,where he'd astonished her parents by saying 'please' and 'thank you' when he was served,unlike the boys Lily's older sister Petunia occasionally brought home after a 'date' in some dingy Bethnal Green restaurant. She still remembered how he'd marveled at her clean,toy-filled room, which wasn't like his own room in Finchley. Their friendship had blossomed like all such young friendships,and they often had playdates.
Lately,however,Severus had started growing distant. He'd received a letter from some Scottish boarding school called Hogwarts,where he'd be going come September. Lily was trying to mend their bridges,but it was a hard task. She’d been friends with him for years. How did one deal with such sudden change?
———-
Lily was reading a children's book about a rocket to Venus when the letter came. Lily thought that the book was stupid. Everybody now knew that Venus was a cloud-covered world with temperatures exceeding 700 degrees Fahrenheit. American and Soviet space probes had proved as much.
"Lily?"
"What is it,Mum?"
Juliette Evans came into the sitting room. She was a tall,stocky woman with red hair,an oval face,and teeth more appropriate to a horse than to a human. She was dressed in her usual shirt and slacks,and projected a matronly air.
"A letter has come for you. It's important,and it kind of concerns a family secret"
Lily accepted the envelope from her mother. It read:
Miss Lily Evans
The Upholstered Bedroom
86 Redford Drive, Hackney
Dear Miss Evans:
We are pleased to convey to you that you have been accepted as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Term begins 1st September. We expect your reply no later than 5th August.
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Attached was a list that read:
First-year students will require:
Uniform
Three Sets of Plain Work Robes (Black)
One Pair of Protective Gloves (dragon hide or similar)
One Winter Cloak (Black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all student's clothes should carry name-tags at all times
Books
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1 by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic (1968 edition) by Bathilda Bagshot
Hogwarts:A History (1969 edition), by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
Transfiguration 101 by Jolyssa Miller
Magical Plants and Animals:A Primer by Theon Dunbar
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (1963 edition), by Newt Scamander and Raymond Goldstein
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentyn Trimble
How to Protect Against Dark Magic (both beginner volumes), by Niall Queensbury
Other Equipment
A wand (preferably Ollivander)
1 Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set of glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set of brass scales
Students may also bring a pet of their choice,provided that they can control any danger it might provide to others
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS,UNLESS THEY ARE FROM A NOBLE HOUSE
"Hogwarts! That's where Severus is going to school in September!"
"I know,honey. And I need to tell you about your father's grandfather."
Lily tensed. Tim Evans rarely spoke of his family. Her Uncle Alexander hadn't come to Hackney since 1965. He worked and lived in Skegness,as an accountant for a rich old family named Boot.
"Your great grandfather,Gerold Evans,was a wizard. He went to Hogwarts seventy years ago and learned how to brew potions. He died when I was 8,in an accident caused when he was brewing a Scintillation Solution. Do you know that family your uncle Alexander works for,the Boots? They're wizards,and so is he. However,your father is a Squib,a magical person without the ability to use their magic.
Your father has told me about Hogwarts. He says it's wonderful. An old castle,on the edge of Cairngorms National Park. You'll be spending seven years there (except for breaks) learning how to use magic,which you have. Remember when,on your eighth birthday,you turned those blue roses red by looking at them? That's magic. There are classes in every magical subject possible. He says you'll love it at Hogwarts. Here’s what he says about the classes.
The magic you'll learn at Hogwarts is of many different types. There's Charms,where you'll learn to make things different with spells. There's Defense Against the Dark Arts,where you'll learn how to defend yourself from Dark wizards and evil creatures. The Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures teachers will teach you about magical plants and animals. In Flying class,you'll learn how to ride a broom. In Potions class,you'll learn how to brew and use potions for all kinds of things. In Transfiguration,you'll learn how to make one object into another. In History of Magic,you'll learn the history of Wizarding communities the world over and how they interact with each other and Muggles. And in Astronomy,you'll track the stars and planets as they move around the sky. And that's just the core classes.
Beginning in third year,you'll get to choose some more classes. Care of Magical Creatures I've already mentioned. Arithmancy involves the use of numbers in magic:it's also where most spell-crafters learn the tricks of their trade. Muggles call it numerology. In Divination, you'll learn how to predict the future. And in Muggle Studies,you'll be studying how Muggles live and what they do.
Classes aren't the only things to do at Hogwarts. There are many clubs,like the Astronomy club,the Chocolate Frog club,and the dance club. There's an excellent football team run by the Hufflepuffs. And in December,there's the Christmas dance. It's the Yule ball when you're a fourth year or higher,but the first through third years get the Christmas formal. And in third year,you'll get to go on your first Hogsmeade trip. Those are the best trips ever,except when we'll go to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies.”
Lily was excited all the rest of the day. She'd be going to school with her best friend Severus. She couldn't wait!