Life as Lily

Platform 9 and 3/4 was a hectic place, with children and parents shouting, crying, and hugging good-bye. Owls called dolefully to one another, and cats screeched over the frenzied bustling of students and the low whistle of the train. Lily was so nervous she let out a cry when the Hogwarts Express gave off a thick plume of steam and the conductor blew the final whistle. Dr and Mrs Evans embraced her one last time.

"You must write the moment you get to Hogwarts, Lily," Mrs Evans said, brushing a tear from her eye and a smudge of lipstick from Lily's cheek. "Be good and pay attention in class. Don't be shy, either. Make lots of wonderful friends."

Dr Evans hugged his daughter and drew her toward the line for the train. "Be a good girl. We don't want to receive any of these Howlers Mr Tonks told us about," he said with a grin. "Try not to dump cakes on anyone."

"I'll try, Dad," Lily said, tears welling in her eyes. She hadn't thought it would be so hard to leave. Of course, ever since she was little she had thought she'd be heading to Wimberley with Petunia. That hadn't seemed nearly so awful as leaving behind an entire world to join another. "Oh, Daddy, do I have to go? It's not so late that I can't join Petunia! I promise I won't tip cakes or do anything magical!"

"Oh, Lily," her father said. "I'm sad too. But you have to give this a try, dear. You have a special gift, daughter; this isn't so different than going to a special arts school, like William wants."

The crowd had thinned around the train, leaving only parents waving to their children and parents hugging what looked like other first-years good-bye.

"Go to school, Lily," Dr Evans said, guiding her up the steps. "Have fun, and learn to be a good witch." With one final hug he stepped back from the steps and returned to Mrs Evans' side.

Lily ran to the compartment her father had stowed her luggage in and waved desperately as the Hogwarts Express began its journey north. Her parents smiled back, her mother blowing kisses, until the train rounded a corner and left the city. Sitting heavily on the bench, Lily screwed up her face, desperate not to cry. The large barn owl - a going-away gift from her parents - hooted down at her, and Lily rose and brought the bird's cage to the bench with her. The owl's yellow eyes, while spooky, made her feel better.

The door of the compartment slid open with a bang, and a boy pushed an enormous trunk into the compartment. "Don't mind if I sit here, do you?" he asked, trying to heave one end of the trunk up so that he could lift it.

"No," Lily said, rising to help the boy. Grunting, arms heavy, they managed to get the trunk onto the overhead rack before falling to opposite benches, huffing.

"Say, aren't you the Muggle girl Ted was showing about Diagon Alley?" the boy asked, and Lily realized she had seen him before in Ollivander's. "So, got a wand, have you?"

"Yes. Willow and unicorn hair," Lily said, drawing it from her pocket. It seemed silly to carry a wand in ones pocket, but Mr Ollivander insisted it was perfectly fine.

"Yeah? Mine's Ash and Dragon Heartstring. Mother says it'll do," the boy said. "Sorry! I'm Sirius Black," he said, pocketing his own wand and holding his hand out to Lily.

"Lily Evans," she answered, shaking his hand. "And I'm not a Muggle. Not anymore, at least."

"No, I suppose not," he said. "Mum was really angry that we ran into you- well, it had more to do with Ted, actually."

"Why would she be angry to see either of us?" asked Lily. "Ted is very nice."

"Really? I've only met him once, and Mother ran him out of our house for being Muggle-born," Sirius told her. "It isn't fair that you know him better than I. He's my cousin's husband."

"I'm sorry," Lily said. Biting her lip, she asked, "What's a Muggle-born?"

Sirius looked at her and quickly darted his eyes to the window. "Well, it's a witch or wizard born of Muggle parents." Sirius slid down in his seat, a definite pout showing on his lips. "Some people, Purebloods mainly- that's someone whose family has been magical for generations- don't think Muggle-borns should come to Hogwarts."

"And that's why your mother doesn't like Mr Tonks? Because he helps other Muggle-borns go to Hogwarts?"

A bitter laugh replaced the frown. "Nope. My mother doesn't like Ted because he's a Muggle-born. See, we're Purebloods, and she thinks that Ted's being a Muggle-born makes the family look bad." He sat up, crossing his arms across his chest. "In fact, my mother hates all Muggle-borns, and all Muggles! She's completely insane about it, too. She wouldn't even let me say goodbye to the neighbours this morning, because now that I'm at Hogwarts and I'll be in Slytherin, I don't get to see my Muggle friends anymore. It was fine before, but now that I'll be around proper people, I won't need to see my old friends ever again." Sirius glanced at the compartment door before continuing. "Bollocks to that!"

Lily gaped at the boy, wondering whether to laugh or to be horrified. She hadn't thought people would detest her just because her parents weren't magical. Mr Tonks had never said anything about that- or if he had, it had been to her parents and they had not told her.

Deciding not to ask any more questions of that sort, Lily decided to ask something else. "What is Slytherin?"

"Merlin! You mean they never told you about the Houses? But, that's the best part!" Sirius said, excited. When Lily shook her head, Sirius explained the different Houses: Slytherin, which he would be in, because everyone in his family went there; Ravenclaw, which was for the really clever students; Gryffindor, which was where all the brave students went; and Hufflepuff, where the loyal students were sent. "Hufflepuff's are supposed to be inept, though, so you don't want to go there."

"Excuse me," a voice said from outside the compartment. Turning, she saw a boy a few years older than her and Sirius. He tapped a yellow badge on his chest. "I happen to be a Hufflepuff. We are not inept," he said, entering and sitting down. He had another badge, a 'P', under the first. "Frank Longbottom," he said, introducing himself to Lily. "I already know that one," he informed her, jerking his thumb at Sirius. "And I'll have you know that simply because Hufflepuff's work hard and don't bother scheming against other Houses doesn't mean we're useless."

"Oh, lay off, Longbottom," Sirius said. Letting out a huge yawn, he stretched, purposely knocking Frank's hat off his head. "I'm sorry I misinformed Lily here. Just trying to be helpful. See, she's a Muggle-born, so she doesn't have Mummy's and Daddy's vetting for her House."

"Slytherin, right?" Frank asked Sirius, who nodded glumly. "Well, luckily for you, Black, it isn't your parents who decide where you're put. It's the Sorting Hat."

"A Sorting Hat?" Sirius asked, greatly relieved. "My cousin Bellatrix told me we'd have to battle a Troll. She said anyone who has to go to the Hospital Wing is put in Hufflepuff." Even Lily snorted at the explanation. "Well, why wouldn't I believe Bellatrix? She's a Prefect."

"Questionable decision," Longbottom said, his eyes lowering to his own badge. "Well, you're not in Slytherin until the Hat says so, Black," Frank said, standing to leave. "Remember that."

"What a prat," Sirius said derisively to his receding back. "Every Black for centuries has gone to Slytherin, and he knows it, too." He glanced at Lily. "He's another cousin, you know. His mum and my dad are cousins."

"Are you related to everyone?" Lily asked.

"Most of the Purebloods, anyway," Sirius said. "Even the traitors."

Lily never got to ask what this was because another boy came into the compartment at that moment. "First-years?" he asked. When they both nodded, he smiled. "Us too. I'm James Potter, and this is Peter Pettigrew." Another boy came into the compartment behind James and took a seat beside Lily. She and Sirius introduced themselves and, quite suddenly, the boys were on the ground playing a game called Gobstones.

"I win! I win!" James shouted. Sirius, who had been sullen before, had morphed into a rambunctious, raucous boy. Even Peter Pettigrew, who wasn't nearly as obnoxious, was still quite annoying. The boys kept punching and yelling, and the smell of the Gobstones was absolutely disgusting. Trying not to be rude, Lily took a schoolbook out of her bag and began to read about the fundamentals of Charms.

The snack trolley came and left, and while Sirius had bought Lily a Chocolate Frog, it seemed she was the only one in the compartment who could handle the sweets. More boisterous boys joined the compartment, until it became a mess of muggy discord. Lily, who alternated between speaking to who ever wasn't playing and reading her book, was having a decent time until James pushed a boy into the Gobstones. One flew into the air, spraying Lily with its putrid liquid.

"Oh," James cried. "Oh, sorry. Snape, apologize."

"Why should I apologize? It was your fault, Potter," the smaller boy said.

"No, it wasn't. I was just trying to win. It was your Gobstone that sprayed Evans. You should apologize." All Lily was really interested in was getting the stench off of her. One boy, named Remus, told her it would fade in a few minutes and offered a handkerchief to wipe it off her face.

"I'm not apologizing," said Snape. "It wasn't my fault, and I wouldn't apologize to some Mudblood anyway."

The compartment hushed, and it seemed lines were drawn quite suddenly. Some of the boys began to exit the compartment on their own accord, seemingly concerned with the very angry look James Potter was wearing. "Apologize to her, Snape, or I'll curse you into next week for that," James said.

"Why should I be scared of you, Potter? Everyone knows your dad married a Mudblood, too. Frankly, I'm surprise you were accepted to Hogwarts at all," the dark boy said. He didn't say much after that, though, because whatever James had managed with his curse, it caused his mouth to clamp shut. Sirius rushed up after the curse and pushed the small, dark-haired boy. He spun around and fell right into Lily.

"Oh, get him off," she cried, pushing the boy onto the floor. "Off!"

Remus helped James and Sirius drag Snape into the hall, and Peter Pettigrew ran to find someone to reverse the curse for Snape. Remus closed the door upon the scene.

Upset and appalled, Lily realized she was shaking.

"Sorry about that, Evans. Didn't think it'd get that nasty," James said in an off-hand way, returning to collect his Gobstones. "Hey, do you want to play Exploding Snap?"

"Yeah!" Sirius agreed, and some of the other boys who had remained nodded as well.

"I can't believe you! You just cursed him, for no reason," Lily exclaimed. "Why are you apologizing to me?" James looked toward the other boys, bewildered.

"I'm not apologizing to him for anything," Potter said, defiant. "Do you want to learn how to play Exploding Snap, or don't you?"

"I don't," Lily said, snatching up her bag and stomping out of the compartment.

**

Lily spent the rest of the train ride in Frank Longbottom's compartment with older Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students. They were all very amiable to Lily, and they explained that a Mudblood was just a nasty term for a Muggle-born, and that Snape would most likely be placed in Slytherin with ideas like that.

"Could go into Ravenclaw, too," one girl said. "They can be rather smug and superior."

When the train rolled into Hogsmeade Station, Lily felt much better about her new school, especially when the Hufflepuffs promised that she could always go to them for help with her problems. One Gryffindor girl, Alice Midgen, had laughed at that and announced that Lily was clearly a Gryffindor, and therefore would not "need any Hufflepuff understanding."

Standing before the Sorting Hat as it sang a lovely song, making every House sound brilliant, even Slytherin, Lily wasn't so sure she belonged in the House marked for its courage. She swore her knees were knocking together, and was grateful that her name was Evans, not Williams.

Sirius Black sat under the Hat for over a minute before the Hat chose Gryffindor, and sat, paralyzed, for a minute longer once the House name sunk in. He tripped on his robes as he jogged to the Gryffindor table, where all the students stood, applauding their newest housemate.

When Lily's name was called, she strode quickly up the steps to the short stool the Hat was perched on. Her legs felt like lead and her arms were quivering as the Sorting Hat was placed on her head and slid to cover her eyes. The change from the bright, candle-lit Great Hall to the shadows that covered her face under the Hat filled her with a sense of sudden unease.

The voice, deep and somehow ageless, gave her a start.

"Hmm. Hmm, what have we here?" the voice asked. "Yes, I am looking around inside your head. Don't worry," it said, making Lily squirm. "Hmm," it repeated.

The Hat was speaking to her inside her head. Did becoming a witch make you crazy?

"Ha! Definitely not Ravenclaw material, I see," the voice jeered. "No sense of humour, anyway. Hmm... Very loyal, I see, but not too interested in hard-work," the voice mused.

Lily tried to ignore that the Hat had just called her lazy and dull-witted, but anger bubbled up inside her. How dare this bit of patch tell her-

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat screamed just before it was ripped from her head. The bright lights of the Great Hall assaulted her eyes, and it took a moment before the cheering from the far table registered. She covered the space between the stool and the table in mere moments.

The rest of the Sorting flew by. As new students were added to Gryffindor, introductions were whispered. Potter was placed in Gryffindor, but so were a lot of others. There were plenty of girls for Lily to make friends with, and the evening passed quickly until she realized she was about to fall asleep at Hogwarts for the very first time.

**

Life at Hogwarts quickly became a routine. In the mornings, her dorm mates and she would eat breakfast together while waiting for the post to arrive. Lily had to send post to a special Ministry mailbox, where it would be re-enveloped and posted for Muggle delivery. Her parents would send the return letters to a Ministry post box and it would be sent to Lily. It meant that letters took a few extra days to arrive, but every time Lily received a letter she felt special.

Classes were much more different than Lily had expected. Certainly, she hadn't expected to study English or Chemistry, but if any subject had been avoided, why couldn't it have been History? Whether Muggle or Magical, History was dead boring; Lily didn't really think any adult cared much about History, except those who were paid to teach it. The only reason Lily kept her mind on Professor Binns was because Potter and Black and their friends never seemed to pay him any mind.

Other classes were just as hard for her. Potions reminded her strongly of cooking, which was something she'd never had to do at home. The Evans family had a cook who came in every afternoon to make dinner and prepare breakfast. The constant stirring and measuring of ingredients, the checking of consistency, and the terrible consequences of mistaking bat spleen for toad spleen made Lily queasy.

Transfiguration and Charms were much more satisfactory, though just as difficult. They hadn't even preformed a Charm yet, only having written essay after essay on proper wand waving, and Lily was already only an average student. Transfiguration was a bit better, if only because Professor McGonagall didn't allow the boys to fool around, and Lily managed to do quite well with turning matchsticks into needles.

Evenings were spent in the Library with the other Gryffindor first-years, although there were noticeable exceptions. Potter and his friends barely ever came to study, and Dorcas Meadows and Glynnis Drummond almost always sat with the Ravenclaws. After they had finished their homework, they would play on the grounds or go back to the Common Room and play other games. It wasn't long before Lily became a star Exploding Snap player.

"Now, class, if you'll take out your wands, we'll begin with our first practical lesson," Professor Flitwick said, just before Halloween. "Everybody give one good 'swish and flick!' Come on, now, swish and flick," the pint-sized professor intoned, demonstrating to the class the proper technique one last time.

Lily looked down at the harmless feather in front of her and Maggie Twist. She had been practicing the wand movement all day, all week. Professor Flitwick had spent an hour explaining the Levitating Charm, explaining how to modify it for different objects. If she got good at this, she would be able to make any item float up from the desk.

"You go first, Maggie," she said impulsively, pushing the speckled feather toward her friend.

"What's the matter, Evans? Afraid you won't be able to do it?" James Potter said quietly, leaning over Sirius to mock her.

"No, of course not," Lily replied as Professor Flitwick told them to begin. Retrieving the feather from Maggie with a quick glance at the boys, she set it down and tried the Charm. "Wingardium Leviosa!" she said, with a rather nice 'swish and flick'.

To Lily's shock, the feather rose gracefully in the air. "Oh, good show, Miss Evans," Professor Flitwick congratulated her. Choppily, Lily managed to end the Charm. Smiling, she handed the feather to Maggie.

"Can't be that hard, eh Sirius, if Evans has managed it?" Potter said. However, his feather wouldn't float - it wouldn't even move. That evening, all the Gryffindor boys were in the Common Room, trying to manage one good float. It wasn't until long after she and the other girls returned from the Library and had begun to play games that they finally managed.

Lily went to bed that night with a smirk firmly in place.