Lily's Hogwarts Journey: Year I

Author's Note: This story is in no way related to Lily Evans or the Marauder period, which should clear up any flames you may wish to write. If you don't appreciate well-written fanfiction novels, then by all means leave, although I accept constructive criticism. That said, put your feet up, grab a snack and some butterbeer, and enjoy!

Lily's Hogwarts Journey: Year I

Prologue

"WHAT?!" a hissing voice roared as the man, a Death Eater, cowered on the floor. "You're sure that Robert Peters has betrayed me, Lord Voldemort, and left my service without informing me of this? No wizard or witch initiated into the Death Eaters would dare leave the Dark Lord unless they wished to die."

"H-h-he has, my Lord," muttered Lucius Malfoy, his face intently gazing at the ground. "I received an owl from the American Death Eaters group this morning saying that Robert Peters has left them forever...he's going to start a family and leave his past behind him, they said." Lucius's gray eyes met Voldemort's snakelike gaze, but he dropped his face to the floor as soon as he saw his master's furious expression.

"Start a family?!" Voldemort spat, settling himself back in his armchair, his clawlike fingers drumming the chair arms. "The Dark Mark burns on his skin just as well as it does on yours, Lucius. It binds him to me forever...how dare he..."

"Yes, Master?" Lucius asked timidly into the silence, the fire throwing shadows on his pale face.

Voldemort turned his face back to Lucius, fixing his Death Eater with a piercing gaze that made the man tremble inwardly. "Go to New York, find Robert Peters...and kill him, his wife... Go...NOW!"

Lucius Malfoy nodded, running from the room underneath his black hooded cloak. A burning fire was rising within him...he was off to kill once more.

***

"Isn't she beautiful?" Catherine Peters asked as she lay back weakly against the pillows, her newborn baby girl sleeping peacefully in Catherine's arms. It was 8:36 P.M. in Manhattan, New York on July 23, 1989, and Catherine had just given birth to her first child in a wizarding hospital hidden from the eyes of American Muggles. Catherine's husband, Robert, stood in a corner of the room, smiling to himself at his feeble attempts to look pleased. Finally, he strode over to his wife and gently ran one of his hands along his infant daughter's head, already showing early signs of dark red hair like his wife's.

"She's got the mark of a baby witch all right, and an American one at that," Robert said, casually tugging a strand of Catherine's dark red hair and comparing it to the dark fuzz on his daughter's head. "Her hair's as red as yours, Catherine," he remarked, kissing his wife on the cheek.

Robert Peters and Catherine Melrose (her maiden name) both grew up in wizarding pureblood families. Robert was born into the wealthy Peters family, a household of Welsh descent that was one of the oldest and most prestigious American pureblood families still thriving in the American wizarding community. He was 5'9, had blond hair, and gray blue eyes. From the age of twelve to sixteen, Robert attended Black Moon Academy, a private magical education school in downtown Manhattan. After graduating from school he was won over by Voldemort and initiated into a North American branch of Lord Voldemort's followers known as the American Death Eaters, whose sole purpose was to serve their master across the Atlantic in England. For a time Robert was faithful to his cause, casting curses and hexes on those his master saw threatening.

All that changed one night in 1986 when Robert was twenty-three years old, wrapped in his Death Eater cloak and heading back to his apartment after a particularly pleasurable killing spree with others of his group. By chance, he ran into a young, intelligent witch named Catherine Melrose, a fair-skinned, red-haired girl with sea green eyes, about a year younger than himself. He was charmed by her beauty and intellect, so they ended up married a few months later.

Now Robert was twenty-six, Catherine was twenty-five, and their infant girl had just been born. Life couldn't have been better for Robert. Yet his mind was clouded with the owl he had sent to the American Death Eaters about a week ago, declaring that he was leaving Lord Voldemort's service forever. Of course, by now the American Death Eaters had sent it on to the Dark Lord and he had probably received Robert's letter by now. Although Robert had never met his former master in person, he knew Voldemort was no wizard to cross.

"Honey?" Catherine's sweet, melodic voice brought him back from the darkness of his thoughts. Robert looked up into his wife's face and sat on the edge of the hospital bed. "Yes, Catherine, what is it?" he asked, his gaze traveling to his sleeping daughter.

"What are we going to name her, then?" Catherine asked, kissing the baby's forehead. For the first time since her birth, the baby witch opened her eyes, which Catherine and Robert both noticed were a forest green color.

"She looks like a lily to me," Robert said, allowing the baby to grasp for his large fingers. "She'll make a fine witch one day, once she knows about magic and her pureblood American witch heritage."

"So it's Lily, then?" Catherine asked with raised eyebrows and a half smile.

"Yes, Lily," Robert said, leaning across the bed to kiss Catherine's cheek. "The name suits her perfectly."

"What about her middle name?" Catherine pressed on.

"How about Marie, after your mother, and her grandmother?"

"Lily Marie Peters...yes, I like it. Robert?" Catherine asked, concern rising in her voice as her husband turned back toward the hospital room window and looked on at the lights of downtown Manhattan.

Baby Lily made a gurgling sound and Catherine lifted her hospital gown to quench her infant's thirst, her gaze never leaving her husband's strong back. "Something's troubling you, Robert, I know it," she whispered softly. Robert turned, grasping his right forearm with a small grin.

"Nobody can pull wool over your sharp eyes, Catherine," he said, allowing himself a shaky laugh. The Dark Mark that had been burned into his right arm was searing with pain. "The Dark Mark on my forearm's burning again," he told her with a grim expression.

"I thought you resigned from the Death Eaters, Robert," Catherine said, gently pulling Lily away from her chest and wiping dribbles of milk off her daughter's chin.

"The Mark will remain on my forearm forever, whether I like it or not. That's why I'm so troubled, Catty," he said, calling his wife by the pet name he used for her. "We are all linked to Voldemort by this Mark. When it burns, he calls for our assistance and his moods flow through our veins. Right now he's angry, very angry." Robert grimaced, knowing what the cause of his master's anger must be.

Catherine stared at her husband, her face overcome with fear, and clutched Lily to her chest. "You don't think he...knows that you've deserted him, do you, Robert?" she asked worriedly.

Robert's eyes hardened with determination. "Yes, Catherine, I think he does. Once you're strong enough to travel in a few days, we're going to England."

***

As the days in the hospital flew by, Robert and Catherine savored the time they spent with their daughter. Little Lily would spend most of her time curled up against Catherine's chest sleeping, and even then they marveled at her innocence. Robert was brought close to tears every time he stroked her soft cheek; knowing that he would never see her hold a wand for the first time, never see her grow into an accomplished young witch like her mother.

On July 31, eight days later, both Catherine and baby Lily were discharged from the wizarding hospital, but the atmosphere on that day was far from happy. After Catherine's wand and possessions were returned to her, Robert met his wife and daughter in the lobby, then escorted them out to the couple's waiting broomsticks.

"How do you expect me to carry the baby?" Catherine asked with exasperation as she held Lily, who was dressed in powder blue baby tailored robes and soft matching booties.

"Just give me a minute," Robert said as he tapped Catherine's broomstick with his wand and the handle grew a few inches longer, with a small baby seat attached to the back. "Put her in here and she'll be safe for the rest of the journey," Robert continued as he mounted his own Silver Arrow. Catherine leaned over, buckled Lily in, and the couple soared into the sky.

From the minute they were in the air, Catherine noted that Lily seemed to enjoy every minute of their trip. As the wind hit her face, Lily giggled and bounced in her seat. Catherine couldn't help but smile to herself.

"We've got a natural-born flier!" Robert joked, who had been watching Catherine's broom bounce and sway with Lily's movements from behind his wife as they flew over the Atlantic.

"I don't appreciate your humor, Robert Jonathan Peters," Catherine replied shortly, but she couldn't hide her smile. Just ahead of them was the rocky English coastline, a sign that they were close to London.

"Don't start your descent until we get a clear view of Diagon Alley," Robert warned, risking a look at the endless green fields below. "We should be coming upon civilization in just a minute." Catherine nodded and reversed to fly alongside her husband. The couple fell silent for the rest of the trip, while Lily was content to close her forest green eyes and sleep.

As dusk began to creep over the world, Robert finally slowed and began a nosedive toward a cluster of rooftops known as Diagon Alley, a small wizarding street hidden behind the Leaky Cauldron, a dimly lit pub.

"All right Catherine, it's safe to land now," Robert called to his wife, and they slowly landed in the center of the deserted street. The couple dismounted and Catherine unbuckled Lily, who was soundly sleeping.

"What are we doing in Diagon Alley, Robert?" Catherine asked as she held Lily to her chest, hurrying to catch up to her husband. "Wouldn't Voldemort be able to spot us here more easily than if we were in Manhattan?"

"We have to do one more thing before we go into hiding, dear," Robert told her softly as he laid a hand on her arm and his gray eyes filled with tears. "We're giving Lily to the local orphanage, The Merlin House Orphanage."

Catherine's mouth opened in shock. "But Robert, why...?" She clutched Lily to her chest, as if shielding her from the prospect of being left alone at such a young age. Robert turned away, not daring to look at his wife's stricken face or his baby girl. When he finally did speak, his voice was on the verge of sobbing.

"It's the best for all of us, Catty. I was a Death Eater at one time in my young adulthood and if Voldemort discovers I deserted him, then he'll most likely want to have me killed. The last thing I'd want is to see my beautiful wife and daughter tortured by those I once called friends. Lily belongs in Diagon Alley, where she doesn't have to suffer through that. You and I are going into hiding from Voldemort."

Catherine blinked to keep the tears from falling down her cheeks. Robert stepped over to his wife and held her close. "Lily will be cared for, you can bet on it," he whispered, trying to manage a confidant smile. "Come along then," he continued, drawing a breath, "let's go, it'll be over soon."

They walked in solemn quiet through the streets, counting down the minutes until sweet goodbyes were to be said. They had both come to a silent, disappointing agreement that they would probably never see their daughter again.

"Here it is," Robert said quietly, guiding Catherine in the shadow of a large Gothic style mansion. Hanging from an iron signpost was a battered sign reading The Merlin House Orphanage. The couple climbed the front porch steps and Robert rapped on the door. A second later the door creaked open as light from within spilled onto the street behind them. A plump, motherly woman stood in the doorframe wearing dark purple robes with a badge of Merlin's portrait pinned on the right side of the chest. She flew down the front steps to greet the couple and their baby, her face looking concerned.

"What brings you out here, dearies?" she asked kindly, seeing Robert and Catherine's tired, tearstained faces and sleeping baby Lily.

Robert stepped forward, struggling to remain composed before he broke down crying. "Sister, we're here to entrust our baby girl, Lily, to the orphanage while we go into hiding from Voldemort. My name is Robert Peters and I'm a former American Death Eater. My wife Catherine and I are going into hiding from the Dark Lord. Please take care of her."

"My name is Sister Kitty, the head of the orphanage. Of course I'm willing to take your daughter for as long as you need."

Robert beckoned for his wife to hand Lily over to Sister Kitty's waiting arms. Catherine was bent over her baby daughter, but she had no need to cry anymore; all her tears had been shed. Reaching into her black cloak pocket, she drew out a beautiful sapphire necklace, bordered by small, silver spikes. The rose is guarded by thorns, Catherine thought to herself as she fastened it around Lily's small neck. "To remember us by," she told Sister Kitty as she passed the sleeping child to the healer.

Sister Kitty merely nodded; there was no need for any words. All the while, Lily Marie Peters slept on, not knowing that what had just happened would affect her whole life. She had no idea that in eleven years she would fulfill her destiny of becoming a witch.