Life is weird, not at all constant, not even fair. I learned that a few years ago. You see, I had a perfectly normal existence for the first sixteen years of my life. Well, normal considering I'm a witch, but for a lot of people, that is normal. But when I started my sixth and next to last year at my school, that's when my life turned around. But it was a good sort of turn-around. I'm happy, honest-to-God, one hundred percent, genuinely happy right now. I was always a happy girl, but not the way I am now. I had a small but loving family. Now, well, my family could be accurately described as minuscule, but I'm loved thoroughly and completely by all two members. Actually, it's five, but I know in their own way those other three love me too. But right now, I'm scared, too. He is coming for them, my family, and I can't let them go. And right now, if I could have one wish, it would be for more time with them.
Part One- Meeting the Dawn
Dawn: The beginning of something; to begin to appear or develop; to come forth; to begin to be understood or felt.
Light: brightness; illumination of a specified kind; mental illumination; spiritual inspiration -Webster's New World College Dictionary
Lily Adelle Evans blindly reached out to turn off the beeping of her alarm clock. After the aggravating sound abated, she stretched and smiled, the bright dawn of September the first peeping through her east-facing window. Lily cheerfully hopped out of bed with the excitement of knowing that something special would happen today. This was guaranteed, because she would be starting her sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. However, the sixteen and one day year-old Lily didn't know how special today would turn out to be. Because today would be the first day of something even greater than what she could have imagined. Today, another chapter in her life would begin. Today...today would be the day she would look back on in the years to come, because today would be the day that the greatest and most trying obstacles in her life would start rising in front of her, but it would be the day that her most amazingly joyous moments would start appearing. And today....it was another day, a clean page to write on, free of any scribbles or stray marks, unmarred by the blackness of the world. It was today that she would start filling that page.
When Lily emerged from the bathroom awhile later, she went to breakfast, pleased to find her older sister and her husband there.. "Good morning, Mum, Dad, Petunia, Vernon." Lily smiled, helping herself to scrambled eggs and biscotti made for her going-away breakfast.
"Hi, sweetheart." Lily's mother, Annette, greeted while kicking the refrigerator, which had decided to stop working.
"Nettie, don't do that, you'll break it!" Robert, Annette's husband and Lily's father said frantically, jumping up to save the refrigerator. "I'll fix it later."
"Before or after you cut the grass?" Annette asked sarcastically, but a teasing smile was upon her features, pale skin and green eyes like Lily's, but black hair replaced her daughter's fiery tresses. Their eyes were very special, in the magical and Muggle world alike; the six shades of green, ranging from forest to a light sea mist, drew attention like flies to honey. "Lily, watch out for men, they're all the same. They never follow through on their promises."
"Alright, Mum. I think I'll join a convent instead."
"Very good idea, Lily." Robert piped up, a protective tone in his voice. It was easy to tell that they were father and daughter. Lily had inherited a tall stature, and his bright red hair that curled stubbornly, along with a chin that hinted at an equally-obstinate nature. The most pleasant thing she had gained from either parent, though, was Annette's ceaselessly optimistic nature, that failed to see the bad side of anything or anyone. Her cheerful personality had yet to be crushed by the not-so-happy world, for which her parents were very thankful.
"Petunia didn't join a convent though, and I guess she turned out all right. I'm glad to note she and Vernon have finally emerged from their little love-bound pupa." Lily teased, loving to pick on her older sister. Technically speaking, though, Petunia wasn't her sister. Robert and Annette had adopted Petunia as an infant when it became clear they wouldn't be able to have children of their own. Then, four years later, by some act of God Himself, Annette had become pregnant with their miracle-child, Lily.
Petunia took the joking with good nature, turning red to match Vernon. "Just wait, little sister. I'd be willing to bet you'll never get out of a love-bound pupa once you wander into one. And then, you'll never hear the end of it from me."
"Or me" Vernon added, buttering toast. "Although, you do come up with some original material, and for that I give you kudos."
"I'm never going to be in a love-bound pupa, I'm joining a convent." Lily reminded them, and then made a face, causing her freckles to scrunch together. "Remember?"
"Lily, if you join a convent, I'll go to that weird school of years and wear one of those crazy hats that look like traffic cones." Petunia told her pointedly, knowing how dorky Lily felt wearing the hats.
"Deal?"
"Deal. However, I am not spit-shaking with you. I refuse to."
"Wimp. Mum, can you braid my hair when you get done eating?" Lily asked, setting her plate and glass in the sink, hoping to avoid dish-duty.
"How do you get your hair braided at Hogwarts? Somehow, I don't see Millie agreeing to it."
"She doesn't. But at Hogwarts, I can use a spell. Remember, Petunia bought me a book of them in first year."
"Me being the excellent older sister I am."
"Ha ha." Lily rolled her eyes, and grabbed the last piece of biscotti before Vernon could, smiling brightly.
"You get to eat like this all the time, and me, married to Ms-I-Don't-Cook, can't even get a fourth one."
"I don't get Italian food at Hogwarts. I have to stock up now." She reminded him. "Besides, at least we know you married Petunia because you loved her, not because she can cook."
"And we know that the same thing will apply to you too." Annette said gently.
"That was below the belt, Mother. It wasn't polite of you to mention my lack of cooking skills."
"It's a recognized fact, Lils." Robert told his daughter.
"I have a wand. I don't need to know how to cook. Besides, I'll marry some rich guy that has House-Elves, and I can sit on my bum all day doing whatever rich witches do." Lily grinned brightly at the infuriating thought that her whole family hated.
There were a couple things that made the Evans family unique. The first was that they were a long line of proud Muggles. Having a witch pop up out of nowhere was quite a shock. The second thing was that Annette's family was Italian to the bone. Her entire family, which wasn't really very large, lived in Venice. They rarely saw them, but they talked with disgusting frequency on the phone. Raised with as many Italian traditions as English ones, Petunia and Lily were what they called Englian.
After Lily's hair got braided, her trunk and owl cage was loaded into the family car, and everyone, including Petunia, but not Vernon who had to go to work, went to see Lily off at King's Cross. Lily went through the line of hugs, then through 'I love you', 'Ti amo, innamorato' from her mother, and 'Try not to get yourself killed' from Petunia. Then, her parents had to chorus, 'send lots of owls' and Petunia said, 'Send me a letter the regular way. No owls'. This was very based, though, and not meant meanly. Petunia had been in the bird room at a zoo at feeding time once, and several birds had gotten loose, scaring a four-year old to death.
"Can do, folks." Lily hugged everyone again for good measure, and pushed her cart surreptitiously through the barrier of Platform 9 3/4. As she looked for a compartment that appeared empty, she met her best friend, Millicent Barstow, always referred to as Millie, also looking for seating. "Hey, Millie." Lily greeted. It had been much more enthusiastic yesterday at her birthday party after a month-long separation.
"Long time, no see. Where is that Diggory boy at? He can never manage to show up at the time he is needed."
"I'm sure we can manage to put our own trunks up."
"We tried that once, remember? It took two and a half hours when you include unpacking half the stuff in there. Which reminds me, you never did tell me why you had a tin of stale bread."
"I've told you a million times, it's biscotti, not stale bread! It's crisped, you idiot." Lily said, hitting her friend on the arm. They had by now found an empty seating space, and were eyeing the space for the trunks skeptically.
"You do realize that as soon as we get it up there, Amos will come prancing along, and say he's been talking to The Quidditch Captain." Millie spoke with such mock awe that the two girls started giggling.
"Let's just leave them out here and wait for him. If anyone asks questions, I have asthma and you, uh, have...a back condition!"
"Or we could just say we can't lift our trunks." She said dryly, and Lily rolled her eyes. They started chatting, discussing the people at Hogwarts and their summers, and weren't interrupted until they heard a shout from outside their compartment that sounded suspiciously like 'what idiots left their trunks in the middle of the floor'.
"Remember, I have asthma." Lily said, then opened the door cautiously, not sure what sort of situation she would be viewing. Then, she saw five boys in a dog pile near the trunks, her close friend Amos Diggory among them. "I'm guessing you guys tripped over our trunks?"
"Excellent observation." Was the dry comment from Remus Lupin, on the bottom of the five-man pile-up which was slowly being repaired.
"Sorry, Remus."
"If Diggory would have hurried his bum up, this wouldn't have happened." Millie said impatiently, standing in the door frame.
"Well. This looks like a situation I don't want to be in. I'll adjourn to my compartment." A person Lily knew to be James Potter said, when it was finally his turn to get up. "And might I suggest a simple levitating charm next time. I believe it was taught in first year."
Lily's jaw dropped at the blunt rudeness, from a person she didn't even know, but everybody else looked after him as if they expected it. The other boys except Amos walked after the apparently grumpy James Potter. He put their trunks up for them, and smiled brightly. Once all three had sat down in the compartment, Lily huffed. "Can you believe how rude he was?"
The others gave her a strange look.
"What?"
"Lily, he's always like that. It's his personality." Millie explained as if it was a simple concept she should have grasped long ago.
"His personality is to be rude to everything that breathes? He acted like I was a first year!"
"He's only like that to people he doesn't know. I like him. He's the Quidditch captain, you know. And technically speaking, he was talking to you and Millie."
"Gee, thanks, that makes me feel better. So that's the Quidditch captain, is it?" Lily asked. "I never put the name to the face to the position." That was really a possibility, considering Lily hadn't watched a Quidditch game since the first one of the first year, having deemed it a reckless, dangerous, and ignorant game. Also, she had watched it during the time first years were still learning how to fly, a veritable nightmare for Lily, who was on the ground, screaming, or hanging off by one hand more than she was on the broom actually flying.
"You have to be the only witch in the world who doesn't like Quidditch." Amos said, it was a statement repeated at least once a week.
"I know, I know." Lily muttered, and pulled a small book out of her pocket.
"Oh no, Amos, she's going to ignore us now." Millie said with mock fear.
"Shut up." She groaned, throwing the book at Millie and regretting she didn't have another to hurl at Amos. Since she didn't, she had to go for a change of subject. "So, do you two have plans for Christmas yet?"
She was answered with two sets of eyes rolling to Heaven. Amos sighed. "Lily, you are the only person in the world, who starts the Christmas countdown in September, so no, we do not have plans yet. However, I'm assuming you do?"
"It's going to be a quiet, family Christmas. Nonna can't come, and nobody else is either." Lily sighed. "I'll just have to kick up my spirit a notch to make up for us."
This time she was met with groans. Nobody wanted to see her spirit kicked up a notch. Millie decided she would do the subject changing this time around. "So, since you're our source for all things academic, who's the Head Boy and Girl this year?"
Lily wrinkled her nose at the thought, feeling like a major dimwit. Of course she should have known James Potter, the other Gryffindor Prefect last year. He was the one who was always late, and last year's Head boy had 'unofficially' named him as his usurper. "James Potter and-"
"Big surprise." Millie snorted, "I could see that coming five kilometers away."
"You asked. I answered. The Head Girl is Lizzy Wilkins."
"Is she still dating Frank?"
"I don't know. Why don't we ask the guy who's buddies with the most marvelous Quidditch captain ever, who shares a dorm with Frank?" Lily asked, raising her eyebrows at Amos.
"That's a little swervy, don't you think. I don't think it would be reliable. Besides, isn't it against the Lily Evans rule to hold grudges again people like James Potter?"
"You're right. It is, and I forgive him for being a rude and intolerable arse, I'm sure he has his reasons for being the way he is. I imagine he has a very hard life in his own way."
She was again met with stares, but there was no subject change again, allowing silence to fall upon the compartment. After about five minutes, it became apparent Amos was trying to work up his courage to say something, and eventually, he did. "How about I invite the Quidditch team in here?"
Millie nodded her consent, and so they turned to Lily to wait for her reaction. "Why don't you just go to them?"
"Well, I, um, I-"
"Because he wants to see if a little time around the new and very rude Head Boy could get you to shake the sweet-little-Lily shell." Millie supplied brightly, looking around, and Amos looked shocked.
"How did you know that? Lily's supposed to be the mind-reader."
"It wasn't hard to guess."
Lily, the supposed mind reader, was drumming her fingers against the arm rest in aggravation. "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't read minds," she said through gritted teeth, "I never have, and I most likely never will, and it's a great source of annoyance when you say that I do."
"Sorry." Amos said, implying he wasn't at all sorry. "So, how about it?"
"Fine," Lily said with a smile, "go ahead and invite your little Quidditch buddies in here."
"Great." He left, and when he returned, it wasn't with the whole Quidditch team as expected, but with two players and two of their friends. Lily and Millicent were forced to squish together so there would be enough room for all seven to sit down. And within seven minutes, Lily wanted to cry from sheer boredom.
"So, Lily, how was your summer?" Remus asked, he was sitting on her other side, so they could talk without interrupting the Quidditch discussion involving Amos, Millie, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black, and of course, the captain, James Potter.
"Pretty good. Just the usual boring summer stuff, nothing too exciting, how about you?"
"Nothing much." He lowered his voice slightly, "I went to a clinic in Egypt for my you-know-what. It was nightmarish, trust me. Been walking backwards much lately?"
His you-know-what was actually lycanthropy. Remus and Lily shared what you could call, at best, an unusual relationship. They had met in Lily's fourth year, Remus's fifth, when she had been walking down the hall backwards after dinner and had run into him. They weren't close after that, but formed a peculiar friendship; they help each other with homework, greeted each other in passing, and were solicitous to the other, but they seldom did anything together. They didn't sit together in the Great Hall, in the class they shared they didn't even sit in the same vicinity unless they worked together on a project, they had had a total of about four real conversations, this potentially being the fourth, Lily's discovery of his condition being the second, and they never asked personal questions.
"No, I haven't felt the urge in quite some time." She answered, "You know that's an occasional thing. So far, only good has come out of it, and I don't want to test my luck."
"That might be a good plan." Lily saw his eyes light up, and turned to see the witch with the food cart outside their compartment. Her friends shot her a cautious look, and she surreptitiously put a hand over her face.
"Anything from the cart?"
"Yes!" The boys, minus Amos, jumped up from their wedged-in spots, and flocked around the cart, happily inspecting the food. Millie and Amos turned to look at her expectantly.
"Give us the biscotti." Lily glared, and pulled out two plastic-wrapped pieces of biscotti, a gift from her mother.
"Are you three boycotting sugar products?" Peter Pettigrew asked, setting down with his own hefty pile.
"Are you boycotting good health?" Millie snapped archly.
"This is how I reward myself for the purgatory called Quidditch practice with James Potter running it." Peter grinned, and took a huge bite of a cauldron cake to accent his point. Indeed, you couldn't tell that Peter consumed pounds of sugar with regularity.
"So, what is going on with the no candy thing?" James asked, his expression was suspicious, as if their answer would undoubtedly be a remark aimed to hit him in the rear.
"It's a small sacrifice for a dear friend." Millie said this, and was promptly whacked on the arm for it, courtesy Lily Evans.
"So, are you one of those candy Nazis who only eat wheat products and gelatin?"
"Only on weekends." Lily smiled, as if he had just asked her the time. "I'm too busy Monday through Friday setting sugar cane fields on fire, so I have to eat whatever appears at the table."
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