Before the End

LILY I

July 24^th, 1971

Lily woke up. It was the summer holidays and about five o'clock in the morning. She loved getting up at this time.

She got dressed and slipped downstairs silently. She didn't want to wake her sister. Lily was eleven and had long, dark red hair and very bright green eyes. Petunia was fourteen. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a rather long neck, and spent most of her time gossiping with her friends. Lily was not very fond of her sister. The feeling was mutual.

Lily opened the front door and sat on the porch. The cat, Peony, slipped through the door behind her and sat next to her.

Suddenly, a barn owl flew up to the porch.

Lily gasped. She had never seen an owl before. Peony hissed. The owl dropped something on top of the grey cat and flew away.

Lily picked it up. It was a letter, made of what seemed like parchment, and it was addressed in bright green ink to

Miss L. Evans

The Green Room

8 Griffin Drive

Godric's Hollow

Scotland

Lily gasped. How could whoever wrote the letter know where she slept? Maybe Eve had sent it - but how could she get the owl to deliver it? And Eve wouldn't have addressed it like that - unless it was another of her jokes. Lily opened the letter, which had a purple wax seal with a snake, an eagle, a lion, and a badger clustered around a large letter H. The letter read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Evans,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Lily gasped again and ran inside.

ANNETTA I

July 24^th, 1971

Annetta sipped her peppermint tea and scanned the Daily Prophet. Five Muggles Murdered in Kent ... Conjuration Legislation Revised ... Is there anything interesting in the news? ... Hogwarts Hires New Charms Professor ... I should be getting my letter soon, shouldn't I?

She looked out the window. There was an owl flying toward the house! Annetta stood up, put her tea and the paper on the table, and ran out the door to get the letter.

The owl flew over to her as soon as she was out of the door, dropped the letter in her hands, and flew away. Annetta looked at the envelope. It was definitely her Hogwarts letter. It was sealed with a large blob of purple wax, and in the wax was the Hogwarts seal - a lion, a snake, an eagle, and a badger around a large letter H. On the other side, in bright green ink, was the address:

Miss A. More

The East Tower Room

Catsworth Manor

Cornwall

Annetta ran inside. "Mum!" she called, as soon as she was in the house. "Mum! I've got my letter!"

"Afraid you weren't going to get it, then, Annetta?" her mother asked, coming down the back stairs. "You shouldn't be; my hair is still slightly green. I was expecting you to get your letter today."

"You were?' Annetta asked.

"I'm a obviamir; you know that. I saw a Muggle-born girl today at half-past five, when you were asleep." Her mother grinned. Annetta never got up early. "Are you sure that's your letter? Maybe they wrote to tell you you're a Squib and not magical enough to go."

"Very funny," said Annetta. She opened her letter and showed it to her mother.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss More,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

"Who was the girl you went to see?"

"A Lily Evans, from Scotland. Do you want to go to Diagon Alley today? I'd prefer to make one trip there this summer."

"Scotland? Why you, then?" Annetta was avoiding the question about Diagon Alley. She didn't know if she'd like Lily Evans.

"I was awake."

"I can see why they'd pick you then. Most people don't enjoy getting up at four in the morning."

"Would you like to go to Diagon Alley today with us or not? I could take you next week."

"I'll go, I think. She can't be too bad."

"Have you had lunch yet?"

Annetta laughed. "I haven't had breakfast."

"You have to wake up earlier."

"When did you tell her you were going to Diagon Alley?"

"Two o'clock. Eat something."

JAMES I and SIRIUS I

July 24^th, 1971, 1:00 AM

Sirius silently walked across the Potters' backyard. He sneaked over to the last window on the left. It was open, and he lifted himself through it. There was no one inside.

At least, it seemed like there was no one inside.

James pulled off the invisibility cloak he was under. He and Sirius looked rather alike; they had the same untidy black hair (though James' was worse) and blue eyes. However, James had glasses and was shorter. His eyes were greyer, as well. Sirius' were dark blue.

"Have you got them?" he whispered.

Sirius pulled two mice out of his pocket. "Seems a waste to use them on your sisters. Think what would happen if we put them in your parent's bed."

"I'd get killed, that's what would happen. Come on."

"No, I meant besides your getting killed."

"Shut up, will you, Sirius?"

"Probably not."

The boys pulled the cloak over themselves and walked through the hallways and up the stairs to James's sisters' room.

James had older sisters were twins, Mary and Elizabeth. They were rather annoying. Sirius's older sister Andromeda was the same age. So far the three of them had spoiled fifteen of James and Sirius' ... experiments.

Sirius opened the door to Elizabeth and Mary's room. The twins' beds were on either side of the room. "Get the mice for me in the morning, all right?" he asked. James nodded.

They each put a mouse next to the pillow on one of the beds. Sirius whispered to the mice, "Stay still until they wake up." James could have sworn the mice nodded.

The boys slipped back downstairs and over to the window. Sirius jumped out and climbed back over the fence to his house next door. James closed the window and went up to bed. It would be an interesting morning and he wanted to be awake to see it.

REMUS I

October 21^st, 1964

Remus woke up. He'd heard something. He walked to the window, opened it, and stepped on to the roof. He wanted to see what the sound was.

The noise had come from the forest very close to the house. He climbed down the wisteria on the side of the house and ran towards the forest. The sound couldn't have come from too far in to the woods.

The sound came again. Remus shuddered. Maybe he'd better go back. No. He wasn't scared. He wanted to see what it was.

He went into the forest. It was darker than he thought it would be, and very cold. Maybe now he should go back; the sound hadn't been very nice anyway. He turned.

He was near the edge of the forest. He could see his house behind the trees.

Unfortunately, he could also see something else.

A large wolf was creeping towards him. Remus was frozen with terror. He should run, it would hurt him, it might kill him ... he screamed. The wolf came closer.

He screamed again. He could see lights in the house behind the trees. Good, his parents would save him. His legs started working and he began to run away from the wolf, but it leapt on to him and knocked him to the ground.

It bit him and he fell into darkness...

JAMES II

July 24^th, 1971

James came down to breakfast very early. He looked completely innocent. His mother, who was frying eggs, immediately knew he had done something. She also knew there was no point in questioning him until she knew what it was.

James grinned at what he knew would happen very soon. His sisters usually woke up before him. He'd set his clock so he could see them this morning.

His mother flicked her wand at the eggs on the stove and they flew on to the plates on the table. James helped himself.

"Where's Dad?" he asked.

"Ministry work. He left an hour ago. They're working him half to death because of all the -" His mother stopped suddenly.

"The what?"

"Never mind about that."

"Why? What is it?" Actually James knew what it was. He had heard his parents talking about the disappearances and deaths in England when he was supposed to be asleep. He wanted to hear more about it, because he couldn't hear very much from his room.

They were interrupted by two screams.

"James! What did you do?"

"Nothing, Mum, I swear."

Elizabeth and Mary, who were extremely afraid of mice, ran down the stairs, still in their night-gowns.

"James! Where did you get those mice?"

"What mice?"

"Don't play innocent, we know it was you."

"I don't have any mice."

"Sirius Black does!"

"You seem to have forgotten that I'm not Sirius Black."

"He's your friend! And he couldn't have got in here without your help!"

Luckily for James, an owl tapped on the window at that moment.

"I'll get it!" he said, and ran over to open the window.

The owl flew in and dropped one letter in front of both of the twins, and one in James' fried eggs.

James pulled the letter out. "It's my Hogwarts letter!"

"That's a surprise," Mary said quietly. "Are you sure it doesn't say you're a Squib?" She was reading her supply list from her letter from Hogwarts, where she and Elizabeth were fourth years. James ignored her and opened his letter, which was addressed in bright green ink to

Mr J. Potter

The Bedroom at the End of the Hall

24 Griffin Drive

Godric's Hollow

Scotland

It read

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

James grinned. As he ran to the door to see Sirius he bent over and picked up two mice.

REMUS II

July 24^th, 1971

It was raining.

Remus hated rain. He couldn't do anything in it, so he either had to read, or sit and be miserable. He was doing the latter now.

He had a perfectly good reason to be miserable.

He would not be going to Hogwarts.

Most children didn't even know what Hogwarts was. Then again, most of them would not be going.

Hogwarts was a school. There were many schools in Britain. But there was only one school like this one.

Hogwarts taught magic.

Remus should have been going. In about two months, he should have been getting on the Hogwarts Express. He would not be.

Remus was a wizard. He had shown signs of magic for many years. But he still knew that he would never learn how to control his magic.

Because, quite simply, he was a werewolf.

He was dangerous.

Seven years before, he had been exploring the forest by his house, looking for what had made a noise that had woken him up. He had been an idiot, he admitted to himself. He should never have gone out. That night, he had been bitten by a werewolf. He had become one himself.

Werewolves were shunned by wizarding society. He had known that he would never go to Hogwarts. He would be dangerous to the other students; it would not be safe for him to learn magic there.

Which was why he was so surprised when an owl flew up to the open window and dropped a letter into his hands. Remus stared at it.

Mr R. Lupin

The Attic Room

BlaiddÃ'l

Gywnedd

Wales

On the other side...

On the other side was the Hogwarts seal.

It couldn't be.

He opened it.

It was.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Lupin,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. I will be visiting you on 25 July to discuss certain circumstances and the necessary precautions.

Yours sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster

His Hogwarts letter.

He reread it. Certain circumstances ... necessary precautions ... of course. I'm a werewolf. But I'll be going to Hogwarts ... I'll be going...

He dashed out of his room, holding the letter. "Mum! Dad! Look!"

LILY II

July 24^th, 1971

"Mum! Dad! Look! Look! It says I'm a witch and there's a magic school and I'm accepted and -"

"What are you talking about, Lily?" her mother asked, walking down the hallway from the kitchen.

"A letter, delivered by an owl, look!" Lily shoved the letter in to her mother's hands.

"An owl?"

"Read it!"

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ... Lily, this is impossible."

"But it says..."

"It's probably just a practical joke."

"But an owl flew up to the porch and gave it to me! How could you get an owl to do that? And remember all the notes the teachers sent home about strange things happening? Maybe it was magic! And -"

"What is it?" Lily father asked, coming in to the hall. Violet Evans looked a lot like Lily, but Robert had his older daughter's blond hair and blue eyes.

"A letter that Lily says was delivered by an owl. Look at it."

His eyes scanned the page. "What nonsense! Really, Lily where did this come from? It can't have been delivered by an owl, of all things."

"It was!"

"What is it? Do you have to wake me up at five-thirty, screaming? I was trying to get some sleep." Petunia was never in a good mood until ten o'clock.

"Look at this!"

Petunia read the letter quickly. "You actually believed this? Honestly, I bet those Potter and Black boys down the street sent it as a joke. There's no such thing as magic."

"But an owl delivered it, and -"

Someone knocked on the door. Lily opened it.

A tall woman with long, curly auburn hair looked into the house. "Hello," she said calmly. "I am Katherine More. I believe you have just received a letter?"

SIRIUS II

July 24^th, 1971

"Get the door, Sirius!"

"Mum, I just got up!"

"It's James!"

Sirius ran down the stairs.

He opened the door. "I've got my letter!" James told him, holding it up.

"So you've finally learned you're a Squib. Good for you." Sirius was not in a good mood at seven-thirty in the morning when his best friend had got his letter and he hadn't.

"Very funny. Look!"

"I know what it says. Andromeda read hers to me six times when she got it. Where are my mice?"

James held them up by their tails. Sirius took them. "It was great. The twins ran downstairs, screaming about mice."

"Good. Now let's see what we can do to Andromeda..."

"What was that?" asked Sirius's older sister, coming down the stairs. Andromeda had black hair and blue eyes. She looked a lot like Sirius, although her hair was much longer.

"Nothing, dear sister."

"Right." Andromeda walked into the kitchen.

An owl flew up and dropped a letter to Sirius.

Mr S. Black

The First Room on the Right

22 Griffin Drive

Godric's Hollow

Scotland

Sirius opened it quickly.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr Black,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

"Yes!" he shouted. "Yes!"

"Thinking up new ways to torment me?" Andromeda asked. She was walking back upstairs with a piece of toast in her hand, probably to do homework.

Sirius hugged her. "I've got my letter!"

Andromeda stared. "He's gone insane."

"You just noticed?" James asked.

"Shut up, you two," Sirius answered.

PETER I

July 24^th, 1971

Peter was stuck in a tree.

It wasn't his fault, exactly. It had something to do with him, but it had a lot more to do with the kids under him, who were taunting him at the moment.

Let's see. If I jump out I'll die, or be severely injured. If I climb down I'll get killed.

"What are you, afraid?"

I could use latent magical energy, or whatever Mum called it ... but that only happens with strong feelings, it doesn't happen on purpose, so I won't be able to get down that way unless they get me really mad, and they haven't yet.

"Come down and fight!"

"He can't, he's too scared."

What if I jumped right on top of them ... that'd scare them, maybe they'd run...and then I'd break something from the fall...

"I'll get you for what you said about my bicycle!"

That was their leader, Conall. He had gone up to Peter with his new bicycle and asked him what he thought about. Peter had told him that it was useless, ugly, not aerodynamic, and that a broom could go faster than it. It was true. It wasn't Peter's fault that Conall had never ridden a broom. There was going to be a fight that day anyway, and Peter wanted to deserve it.

I don't want to stay up here all night again. And I'd better go higher or get down before they start throwing things.

Peter was looking down at the gang below him, and they were focused on him, so no one noticed an owl flying overhead in broad daylight.

The owl dropped a letter to Peter. Peter stared at it.

Mr P. Pettigrew

The Willow Tree

53 Turnagain Road

Little Lower Finching

Bedfordshire

Peter flipped it over and saw the Hogwarts seal. It was his letter. Although it was rather strange that it was addressed to the tree...

"Are you coming down or will we have to throw these at you?"

Oh no. Peter began climbing higher, out of their reach.

The first stone flew three feet under him. They were trying to scare him down, but soon they'd get angry, and start actually throwing them at him.

Peter was very high up now. A rock flew at least five feet below him, and he stopped climbing at the next branch to rest. Now, let's see that letter...

Another rock flew less than a foot away from him. Peter started climbing again.

He finally reached a very high branch that he knew they couldn't reach. Stuck here again. Always happens. And of course they won't leave until midnight or sometime like that. He opened his letter.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr Pettigrew,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Great. Now I just have to wait two hours for them to ...

And, quite suddenly, he didn't have to wait at all.

Peter looked around. He was standing in front of his house, holding the letter. He could see, in the distance, a group of kids standing around the willow tree, staring up at it, wondering where he was.

How did that happen?

Peter shrugged, and ran to the house. "Mum! Phoebe! I've got my letter!"