The Chosen

Chapter One: Simply Impossible

Out on the lawn of a primary school, a young blonde girl sat on a bench admiring her nails. They weren’t long, but they were prim and proper just as she was. She was the type of girl who wore a newly pressed blouse everyday to school and made sure that her black skirts were never wrinkled. So it goes without saying that her hair was perfect, not a strand out of place. Suddenly the door flew open and children began streaming through it. One of the last was precisely who she had been looking for. “Why did she have to be the last one?” the girl thought. “Lillian!” she called to the other girl who turned towards her with a puzzled look, that slowly changed to recognition.
 
“What are you doing here?” asked the other girl, who had just been called Lillian, a name she didn’t let many people call her. Her emerald eyes clouded over with a great deal of confusion. She wasn’t used to being picked up from school, usually she walked home by herself. She used that time to think, but today her sister had met her after class for the first time she could remember.
 
“I had extra time I thought I’d wait,” said the blonde girl sighing a little. The two girls were sisters and they weren’t that far apart as age goes, but in personality they may not even have met. This caused a rift between the two girls that appeared to be ever increasing. This situation disturbed their mother at first, but eventually everyone accepted it
 
When the two young girls reached home their mother, an older woman with short blonde hair, rushed out. “Petunia!” she shouting in a scolding tone, “Where have you two been?”
 
‘Walking home from school and it’s not my fault that Lily was the last one out,” Petunia, the blonde sister, retorted.
 
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Lily, the red haired sister muttered under her breath. No one heard her, but still she felt as if she had gotten her point out there. Lily sighed and wandered over to the neighbors’ house. The door was inscribed with the name ‘Caldwell’. “Is Jean there?” she asked quietly when a flustered looking brunette woman answered the door.
 
“Of course darling,” she said ushering Lily inside. Lily had always loved this house there was a subtle magic to it. There always seemed to be leather bound books sitting open on the coffee table, and all sorts of weird spices could be found strewn about the cupboards, but the most important thing about the Caldwell house was their daughter Jean, Lily’s best friend. Today she was found sitting on the couch poring over the aforementioned leather bound books. The large couch seemed to swallow her small figure whole as she continued to engross herself in her reading, but when Lily entered the room Jean’s head perked up and she smiled, her brown eyes smiling along with her face. Jean wasn’t exactly gorgeous, but she was pretty, although she couldn’t stand having both brown eyes and brown hair.
 
“Lily!” Jean said with a squeal as she jumped up from the couch, “Can you believe it’s almost summer?”
 
“No, It’s seems like we only started the 5^th grade yesterday,” Lily said softly. She wished it were only yesterday. She and Jean would be attending two different secondary schools next year.
 
“It’s alright Lily, I’ll write to you lots don’t worry.” Jean winked at her mother, almost expectantly, but she wasn’t gratified with a response.
 
“I hope so.” Lily took a seat next to Jean on the couch. The leather books where shoved away and the two began examining the latest fashion magazine.
 

* * * * *

A great distance away from the Evans sisters and Jean Caldwell, this just happened to be a perfect day, or at least it was as far as another young girl was concerned. The sun was shining through the forest trees and the soft breeze blew back her long dull blonde hair as she sat on the bank of a stream. She smiled to herself hoping that she would be able to enjoy a few moments rest when some twigs cracked behind her. “Who’s there?” she called out, not bothering to turn her head.
 
“It’s me!” a distinctly male voice shouted.
 
“Me who?”
 
“Geez Arabella,” the male voice groaned, “You know who I am. It’s Sirius.”
 
“Oh,” Arabella said not apologizing at all for her rudeness. Sirius sat down next to her and brushed some of the longer strands of black hair out of his face.
 
“So, Bella,” Sirius said leaning back on his arms, “Get your letter yet?” Arabella frowned and looked Sirius in the eyes.
 
“How do you know I’m expecting one?”
 
“’Cause, you’re you Bella. You and magic go together very well.” Arabella giggled slightly covering her mouth. She had been showing signs of magic since birth, but it wasn’t very useful to her. She often set something or another on fire without meaning to, or there was that time that she had made her usually crimpy hair straight. Sure the fashion models did it, but the style did not suit Arabella Figg.
 
“I guess you’re right, but I won’t be getting the letter for a while yet.”
 
“I know that.” Sirius shook his head a little annoyed by her tone of voice. “I was only making conversation.”
 
“It wasn’t a very good conversation.” Arabella stared intently on the stream in front of her, avoiding Sirius’s eyes. Then she sighed and turned toward him. “Anyone else follow you out here?”
 
“It’s highly unlikely.” Sirius looked behind him for signs of other life, but he didn’t see any.
 
“Good,” Arabella stood up and started to walk away, then she turned to Sirius again. “Nice talking to you, hope you get a letter.” Then she walked away.
 
“What a friend!” Sirius said laughing. It was true that he and Arabella would look to the unaided eye to be mere enemies, but in reality they were friends that bickered constantly. In fact it didn’t really matter much to either anymore, not that it ever did. After a few minutes of lying on his back and looking up at the sky Sirius stood up and walked back home.
 

* * * * *

The summer flew past as it does for every child, with various activities from summer league sports to lounging around with friends, but at the end of this particular summer something very unique happened. Petunia Evans went out to get the mail. No, that wasn’t the unusual thing. She only got the mail because her mother was making breakfast, her father was doing something for work, and she didn’t know what her crazy sister was doing but it was probably something creepy, no one seemed like they should be disturbed, so Petunia got the mail, maybe there was something for her. In the bundle of letters were a few bills, a home and gardens magazine, and a creepy (what else should she expect) letter for her sister. “Lillian!” she screamed and her sister came running into the room.
 
“What is it?” Lily asked. Petunia handed her the letter printed in strange green ink. Lily looked it over and then torn it open slowly. She read it over once, then twice, then a third time, just to be sure it wouldn’t vanish from her hands. Then she let out a squeal of delight.
 
“What?” Her mother called running in from the kitchen. Lily, shaking with joy, passed the letter to her mother; Mrs. Evans didn’t bother to read it at first. She thought she knew what it was. “You shouldn’t be getting your Greenwood letter for another week, at least,” Mrs. Evans said, her voice confused.
 
“Read it mum,” Lily said smiling; she wouldn’t be going to Greenwood, what a joyous feeling. As Mrs. Evans read the letter her eyes grew wider and wider.
 
“I…I…I just don’t believe it,” she whispered. The she stooped down and hugged her daughter. “I really don’t believe it.”
 
“What’s going on?” Petunia asked irritated. No one answered her.
 
“To tell you the truth I had always wished this would happen to me, but I guess I didn’t have the gift.” A few tears of joy fell from Mrs. Evan’s eyes.
 
“Gift of what?” Petunia demanded, but yet again she received no answer.
 
“Mitchell!” Mrs. Evans screamed, calling for her husband.
 
“What is it Grace?” Mr. Evans said coming into the room. He looked at his ecstatic wife curiously.
 
“Lily won’t be going to Greenwood this fall.”
 
“And you are happy about this, Grace? I thought she had already been accepted.”
 
“Of course she has, but she’s been accepted to a much better school. She’ll be attending Hogwarts.” Mrs. Evans’s smile grew.
 
“That sounds like a disease,” Petunia commented.
 
“Hardly dear,” Mrs. Evans said acknowledging Petunia for the first time. “It’s the finest school for Witchcraft and Wizardry.”
 
“What the -”
 
“You’re going to let me go?” Lily asked, her eyes glowing.
 
“Of course,” Mrs. Evans said.
 
“Now Grace, don’t be hasty,” Mr. Evans said looking worried. “This could be some kind of hoax…”
 
“Hoax? Oh No, this is no hoax. You remember what I was like as a child Mitchell; I was obsessed with this stuff. I’ve been prying bits of info on such things out of our neighbors since we’ve lived here.”
 
“Neighbors?” Lily asked curiously.
 
“Oh of course, they most likely don’t know that I know, but I do.” Mrs. Evans shivered with joy, and Lily felt like she was on cloud nine, but she was very confused. Mr. Evans pulled his wife aside into the kitchen to have a serious conversation and then Lily burst out the door, she had to tell Jean the news.
 
When Lily got to the Caldwell house she burst in without knocking which could have been a horrible mistake. Mrs. Caldwell was beaming from ear to ear as she showed Jean a small case full of badges. “Lily!” she said with a gasp attempting to hide the case.
 
“I’m sorry is this a bad time Mrs. Caldwell?” Lily said softly.
 
“Just a little dear.”
 
“Oh, I just wanted to tell Jean that I’m not going to Greenwood this year.”
 
“Really? Why not? I thought your mother was ecstatic when you got excepted.”
 
“Oh she was, but she’s even more ecstatic about this place.”
 
“Really? Where?”
 
“Umm….” Lily was suddenly struck with the thought that just maybe she shouldn’t tell anyone. “My sister said it sounded like a disease.”
 
Mrs. Caldwell’s smile grew even brighter. “I guess you and Jean will be going to the same school after all.”
 
“Lily’s going to Hogwarts?” Jean asked, jumping up for the couch.
 
“Yeah!” Lily said this was simply wonderful.
 
Mrs. Caldwell picked up the case and began showing the girls. “This was my Ravenclaw badge,” she said pointing to a blue badge with an eagle on it. She continued to point out other things, and when she showed off the Prefect badge Jean flushed. Lily was frightfully confused all of the sudden, she didn’t know what any of these things meant, but she was scared to asked Mrs. Caldwell, what if she laughed at her.
 
“Are you going to Diagon Alley with us?” Jean asked.
 
“Diagon Alley?” Lily asked, confused again.
 
“To get school supplies,” Jean said abruptly. Lily hadn’t thought about where she was going to get a pewter cauldron; she hadn’t thought about anything at all.
 
“Oh dear,” Mrs. Caldwell said. “You and your mother can come with us and our other neighbors.”
 
“Other neighbors?” Lily suddenly felt that she had been out of the loop for far too long now.
 
“Yes dear, the Snapes, they live just up the hill, and they have a boy about you and Jean’s age. We’re going shopping together, you can come if you want.”
 
Lily nodded. “I’ll tell my mum.” She got up and left smiling.
 

* * * * *

A few days later three families were assembled in Diagon Alley. Mrs. Evans looked around as if she were a kid in a candy store; Mrs. Caldwell had to restrain her, while Mrs. Snape watched contemptuously. Mr. Caldwell bought the three children ice creams and exchanged Mrs. Evans money for her. “I’ve got people to see,” he said, “meet you back here later.” Then he went off.
 
“Robes first,” Mrs. Caldwell said with a smile. When they entered Madam Malkin’s they saw that this was the perfect time to get your robes. The place was so crowded.
 
“Goodness,” said the woman, presumably Madam Malkin, fitting a girl with crimpy blondish hair. “Here you,” she said pointing at Jean, “get up on this other stool, you look about her size.” A few people mumbled and left.
 
“Hi!” the crimpy blonde said.
 
“Hi,” Jean replied.
 
“I’m Arabella Figg,” the girl said, eyeing the brunette on the stool next to her in a calculating way.
 
“Jean Caldwell,” Jean said smiling. She looked like a nice person, well at least she was outgoing.
 
“Okay you two are done,” Madam Malkin said with a sigh of relief.
 
“I’ll see you later Jean,” Arabella called as she left with her mother and a black haired boy. It took longer for Lily and Mrs. Snape’s son; Severus to get their robes, and when they did the group left quickly, because the small shop seemed severely crowded. The next stop was Flourish and Blotts. Jean was very excited over all the books and as they picked out what was need for school, she kept trying to slip something else that seemed interesting in the pile. Lily would decide that evening that this was the best back to school shopping she had ever done. Where else would she watch one of her neighbors flip out and beg his mother to buy him beetle eyes! She couldn’t even imagine how horrified Petunia would be if she saw it all. And there were crowds of boys outside a shop called Quality Quidditch Supplies oogling over broomsticks as if they were skateboards. But the best thing by far had to be getting their wands.
 
Mrs. Snape led the way to Ollivander's. The shabby little shop startled all three children in the party; none of them had ever seen so many boxes, ever. “Come in,” said the old man, who had to be Mr. Ollivander. He looked the three children over and then grabbed Severus’s hand. “You first.” He measured him with some sort of self-propelled tape-measurer, and went off to get a wand from a box. He tossed out several before he finally decided that a 13” birch would be perfect for Severus. Then He asked for Jean, he winked at her as he began looking. It took much longer to find the right wand for Jean, but eventually she ended up with a smaller cherry wood/dragon heartstring wand. Finally he beckoned for Lily to step forward. She was suddenly nervous, but she didn’t know why. “Yes, dear don’t worry,” Mr. Ollivander, said abruptly. His violet eyes looked almost sinister for a second and the he retreated to the shelves. He brought a few out, but he didn’t seem happy with anything.
 
Behind her Lily heard Severus whisper to Jean, “This has got to be just some sort of show.” Jean nodded.
 
Then he brought out another. “Willow 10 ¼ in. swishy.” Lily picked it up and it felt different than the others. She let out a little cry as a spray of golden white sparks fell from it. “Perfect,” Mr. Ollivander said, and all three mothers bought their children’s wands.
 
The group then left and met Mr. Caldwell, who had three cauldron cakes for the kids. When it came time for them all to go their separate ways Mrs. Snape announced, “I think we should all take the kids up to Kings Cross together!” Mrs. Caldwell and Mrs. Evans nodded in agreement, but looked shocked, she hadn’t exactly been agreeable all day. “Severus is desperate for some friends,” she whispered.