Rhapsody

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that you recognize. Those are property of JKRowling and her publishers. However, I would like to add that I occasionally feel the need to steal James for a day or two…

Prologue

The house was in flames.

The second story was collapsing, caving in on the three people still inside. Two men stood in the living room, the building in chaos around them.

“Give me the anecdote, Aticus, and I'll spare her life!” said an angry voice.

“I don't have it, Riddle! You know that. Leave the child out of this, it's between you and me,” the man replied.

A small girl, no older then five, huddled in the corner of the room, partially hidden behind the smoke engulfed couch. She had her eyes shut tightly, begging for an end to the pain.

“I'll give you one more warning, Aticus.”

The man paused while Aticus hesitated.

“Too long McDonnell! Crucio!”

“Nooo!”

But the curse never hit the child; instead it struck a young man, protecting the girl from further harm. The attacker looked on curiously at the newcomer, wondering where he came from and why he didn't scream in agony. The Cruciatus Curse was not one to be taken lightly.

Aticus took the moment to charge his attacker. Aticus pulled his wand from his pocket and began firing spells. The man dodged them easily, shielding himself with his own strong magic, the child and young man forgotten.

The little girl opened her eyes and looked into her saviors face. Hidden behind his wire rimmed glasses, his eyes were a dark ash color, clouded with anger and worry. He stared into the girls' eyes, transfixed for a moment, as if coming to a conclusion in his own head. He blinked, recovered, and pulled the child into his arms.

“Shhh, it's going to be alright,” he said, holding her tightly to him. She softly cried into his chest and he smoothed her hair. Then he pulled back, taking a gold chain from around his neck, placing it around hers. The girl looked at him with confusion as he stood up and began to carry her away from the burning home, the men dueling fiercely behind them.

“Crucio!”

The boy suddenly fell to the floor, dropping the child and writhing in pain. The little girl scooted back, away from her protector, now completely vulnerable. The evil man smiled and raised his wand to her.

“Crucio,” he said maliciously, almost delicately.

But nothing happened. She held her stomach in slight discomfort. The man's face screwed up in confusion. Meanwhile, the boy had stopped his screaming and was getting back up. He looked for the other man, Aticus. There on the floor was the old guy, dead. The boy took his own wand and fired on the remaining man.

“Expelliarmus!” he cried. The attacker's wand flew out of his hand. He cried out in frustration.

“Stupefy!”

He fell to the carpeted floor with a thud. The boy wasted no time; he grabbed the girl, hoisted her into his arms and ran out of the house. Just as they made it out the front door, the stairs collapsed behind them, blocking their escape route.

The boy placed the girl on the grass. He followed her gaze towards the house and saw the Dark Mark looming over it. Soon, Aurors and the Magical Enforcement team would be swarming the place. He looked back at the girl, knowing he had to go, and kissed her gently on her forehead. She said nothing, just stared at him as he retreated into the night, the flames reflecting in her green eyes. She began to call to him.

She began to wail loudly, reaching out to keep him there. But he was gone.

The redhead woke up slowly, the dream still playing in her mind. She'd been having the reoccurring dream for the past two weeks, since her eleventh birthday. It always left her feeling empty and alone. But she wouldn't let it get her down today. It was only 5:30 in the morning; she could sleep for another three hours. The girl lay back down and drifted off to sleep.

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Diagon Alley

“James, dear! You and Peter get down here! Now! We need to pick up Remus and go!” Aurelia Potter yelled up the stairs.

Boom. boom, boom. Thud. Thud, thud......she waited....Boom! Thud! Boom! Thud BOOM!

“STOP JUMPING ON THE STAIRS!” she was highly annoyed now... Thud...

“One more week, Aurelia, one more week and he'll be gone,” she assured herself.

Two rambunctious boys fumbled into the lounge with guilty grins. They always had guilty grins, come to think of it... One, a plump boy with blonde hair that needed to be cut and small round eyes, the other a skinny kid with jet black hair and round framed glasses. James Potter and his friend Peter Pettigrew were anxious to get out of the house and start their first year at Hogwarts. Today they had planned on going to Diagon Alley and James' mum insisted that they invite Remus Lupin, as she always did. He was a nice kid, but shy. James and Peter didn't really know him that well. The two boys had been close friends since primary school.

“We're here and ready, mum!” said James.

“Well alert the Ministry...” replied Rebecca, the youngest Potter. She arrived in the lounge from the kitchen at the same time as James and Peter.

James mimicked his sister and scrunched up his nose. She was only eight years old and would bicker with a fence post if she could. But she was his sister and he did love her, even though she was somewhat of a twit.

“Now Rebecca, mind your tongue and stay here with Nan,” said their mother. Nan, their house elf, has been around since Aurelia was a small child, devoted to her work with the Jamesons, Aurelia's family. They gave her equal respect just as any other creature in their house. Nan was very happy. “Alright, fine. Better than having to follow behind Jim, here.”

“Ugh...Becca, I told you not to call me that.” James said as he pursed his lips and scrunched his nose again. She always called him Jim. Rebecca left, laughing.

“Alright, we're going to floo to the Lupins and then the Leaky Cauldron,” Mrs. Potter said.

“Aw, mum. Floo stinks,” James complained.

“Yeah, Mrs. Potter, we get all dirty,” Peter said, wincing at the thought of his newly pressed robes getting filthy before school. James nodded in agreement.

“Well...deal with it, kids!” she sang with a smile. “In you two go, to the Lupins, got it?”

“Yes, mam,” they both muttered and stepped into the fireplace. “Lupin Manor!”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Eleven year old Lily Evans sat straight up in bed. Exactly one week ago she had received an acceptance letter, delivered by a massive barn owl, for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Of course she didn't know she was a witch until her letter came, but her mother had a sneaking suspicion. Turns out, Lily's grandfather, Aticus McDonnell, was a great wizard, only he had two non-magical daughters, Lily's mum and her Aunt Arabella. Grace Evans, Lily's mum, was so proud to have another witch in the family.

This was the morning that Grace and Lily were going to Diagon Alley to get Lily's school supplies. She quickly dressed in her favorite super-flare jeans and lime-green striped shirt, pulled her long red hair up into a ponytail, and checked herself in her dresser mirror. She stared into the green eyes she had inherited from her father and smiled to herself. I can't believe this is really happening.

Lily bolted down the stairs, past her sister's bedroom, and found her mother cooking a splendid breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast in the kitchen. They owned a small house in Surrey, just south of London. The family just moved here two months ago when her father, Gregory Evans, got a position as the local news producer. He was, as usual, reading the newspaper and drinking his coffee at the table.

“Hi mum!” Lily startled Grace Evans, who in turn dropped a slice of toast.

“Oh good grief! Lily Elizabeth, don't come up behind me like that!” said Grace. Her mum had a scolding frown on her face but quickly replaced it with a smile. “Good morning, anyhow. Here, sit down and eat some breakfast. We're leaving for Diagon Alley by way of the Leaky Cauldron just as soon as I get this kitchen cleaned up.”

Lily ate heartily and quietly hummed to herself, engrossed in her excitement about Diagon Alley. Gregory Evans peered over his newspaper, “Good morning to you too.” He chuckled slightly to himself.

“Oh Dad, I just can't contain myself. Will you please come with us today?” She gave him her puppy dog eyes...it always worked before.

“Now don't look at me like that, Lily,” he began. The telephone rang and he stood to answer it. “You know I have to work. Hello?”

“Alright Lily, go get your -”

“Grace, love, there's an emergency at the hospital,” her dad interrupted,” they need you fast.”

Grace Evans was the Head Nurse at the towns pediatric hospital. She was often called in to work at a moments notice. Lily's face fell- she knew there was no way out of this.

“Oh dear. Go get you sister down here. No yelling.” With that, Grace was up the stairs to quickly change.

“PETUNIA LYNN EVANS!” Lily screamed, her voice echoing through the kitchen. Her dad glared dangerously at her and she just smile sheepishly.

“I'm leaving. Have fun, love. Stay out of trouble and away from nasty boys,” he said as he walked out the door.

“PE-TU-NIA!” Lily yelled even louder.

Lily and her sister were the best of friends, even though Petunia was five years older.

With the new move, the two sisters had needed each other more now than ever before. However, the recent development in Lily's life had caused somewhat of a rift between the two. Petunia still seemed unsure about her sister and how this was going to affect the family. Lily knew that Petunia was jealous of her new found talents and didn't want her to leave for school, but they would survive this. Lily knows that their bond is too strong. She huffed and opened her mouth to scream again when she heard Petunia coming.

“What!? God, do you have to be so obnoxious?” Petunia rounded the corner, her blonde hair framing her smirking face. Lily knew she was only just kidding.

“Hey, can you take me to Diagon Alley? Mum was just called in to the hospital,” she asked nicely.

“Er...” Petunia hesitated, “Yeah Lily, I can take you, but I don't think I can go in with you. You know what I mean?”

“Yeah, I understand, Petunia. Just drop me off and-” but Lily never finished. Her mother came thundering down the stairs.

“Lily, darling, I am so sorry,” she kissed her daughter's forehead.

“It's okay, mum.”

“Petunia, you're-”

“Yes, I'm taking her for you. Don't worry, I'll just pop by the shopping center for those new trainers I wanted while she's there. You need to go.” Petunia began to shoved her mother out the door.

“Bless you, Petunia. Here's some money, Lily,” and she was gone.

Lily went to get her shoes on and they climbed into the car, headed for London. She took out a piece of parchment and opened it. It was her list of school supplies sent with the acceptance letter. She scanned the list and saw that she needed to get robes, books, a wand, potions ingredients, and a cauldron. She could bring an owl, but there wasn't enough money for that.

Her mind wandered about the adventures and friends she would have by this time next year. Would they really teach us to ride on brooms? Will the wizard kids like me? She was Muggle-born and knew next to nothing about magic. Muggle. That was the strangest word she had ever heard. She smiled to herself. Before she knew it, Petunia had pulled up along side a dusty door with a drab sign above saying The Leaky Cauldron.

“Well, Lily. Have fun. I'll be back in three hours.” Lily just smiled at her sister. She was nervous and Petunia could tell.

“You'll be okay,” Petunia gave her little sister a dazzling, yet reassuring smile.

Lily nodded, stepped out of the car, up to the door and walked in. She gasped and looked around at the men and women dressed in an odd assortment of robes, huddled around the bar and several tables. It was dark and shabby with a buzz of chatter as witches and wizards drank butterbeer and discussed the upcoming Quidditch Tournament.

“Excuse me, sir, but could you please direct me to Diagon Alley?” Lily questioned the man behind the bar innocently.

“Muggle-born, are yeh?” The man barked. He had thick, unkempt hair that curled skittishly in every direction.

:...er- yeah. I mean, yes sir I am,” she answered.

He just turned and began walking towards a small corridor in the back. “Follow me, kid.”

Through the corridor was a tiny courtyard with a brick wall and a single trashcan. He walked straight up to the wall and pulled out a wooden stick. His wand, Lily thought. He had her attention and she grinned with excitement.

“Watch carefully, now...er- what's yer name?”

“Oh, Lily Evans,” she held out her hand, inviting a polite handshake. He just glanced at it and continued.

“Lily, from this trash barrel you go three up and two across.” He placed his wand on the designated brick and tapped three times. The bricks wiggled and shifted to magically reveal an open archway that lead to a street full of shops, witches, and wizards.

“Brilliant,” Lily could only mutter, her mouth gaping open.

Wide eyed and grinning, Lily stepped through the newly shaped arch and out into Diagon Alley. All around her, men and women, and children mingled along the street, visiting shops and stores, going in restaurants and cafes. In her rush to take in her surroundings she barely heard a voice calling her name behind her.

“Miss! Miss Lily!”

Lily turned around and once again faced the man from the pub, his dark hair seemingly more unruly.

“Miss, I suggest you going straight down this street here to Gringotts Bank and exchange yer Muggle money for wizard currency. It'll be on yer right. Can't miss it, here?” he instructed her.

“Thank you so much, sir.”

“You can call me Doc. I'm sure I will be seeing you around Miss Lily,” he answered.

Maybe he doesn't seem so mean after all, just different. “Thank you, sir. I mean- Doc,” she smiled and headed toward the bustling street.

As she passed the many shops on the cobblestone path, she mentally checked off which ones she needed to go back to. Apothecary, potions supplies, Cauldron Shoppe, cauldron. She passed one window that had so many boys peering inside that she could hardly read the sign, Quidditch Quality Supplies. Hmm. Flourish & Blotts, school books. It wasn't until she passed Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions that she realized she stuck out like a tart at the Vatican in her Muggle clothing. She'd have to buy some extra clothes.

Lily continued on to a massive building, Gringotts Wizarding Bank. She pushed through two heavy bronze doors and into a crowded room. The ceilings were high and the decoration was exquisite. The only fixtures not beautiful in this bank were the little ugly men running around everywhere. Then she saw the warning sign.

“Oh,” she said to herself. Goblins. That explains loads.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Whoa, James! Check out the new Nimbus 1000!” Peter breathed. “It's the most beautiful broomstick I've ever seen.” The three boys pressed their noses against the glass if Quidditch Quality Supplies, getting their fist glimpse of the latest racing broom, along with several other boys.

“I know Pete, and I'm gonna get it,” James said, puffed his chest out and walked in to find out how much it cost. Peter and Remus followed him in, both shaking their heads. James always did this- he sees something he wants and stops at nothing to get it. And now, he wanted that broomstick.

The front counter was covered with kids of all sizes trying to purchase their things. Remus suggested that they just look through the store and wait for the crowd to die down. The boys waltzed up and down the isles looking at books, posters, mascots, balls, and broomsticks.

“Hey, Peter, when are you meeting your dad? ” James asked.

“In about fifteen minutes. `Sposed to meet him at the Rotten Apple,” Peter answered. James winced. The Rotten Apple was a dodgy pub in Knockturn Alley. The kids rarely went into that section on Diagon Alley.

“You think he knows when the new Cleansweep is coming out, working for Universal Brooms and all?” Remus asked. James and Peter were a bit taken back by the comment. Remus usually never had an opinion on anything. At least he never said anything if he did.

“Don't know. I suppose you could ask him, Remus,” Peter said. Remus just nodded.

“After we leave here, I still need to get my wand,” James continued while inspecting a broom cleaning kit, “and I definitely want some ice cream.”

“Me too!” Remus replied. He was full of surprises today.

“Good then, after we go to Ollivander's, Remus, you and I can go to Florean's,” James said.

“Un-unh. I'm not going back to Ollivander's. That guy gives me the creeps. I'll just meet you at Florean's,” Remus said wide eyed.

James shrugged, “Sure…Hey! Let's go check out the new Wasp gear!” James all but shouted, remembering they had new stinger shirts on sale. As he rounded the corner he ran face to face with Rabastan Lestrange and Sirius Black. Both boys were members of two of the most prominent wizarding families in England, known for their narrow minded prejudice towards any one not of pure wizard blood and, of course, their malicious attitudes.

“Move, Potter, you're blocking the isle,” Rabastan said. He was a shorter than the other boys and stocky, with shoulder length brown hair, usually pulled back into a low ponytail. Rabastan was the younger brother of bad boy Rodolphus Lestrange, who was soon to be in his sixth year at Hogwarts. It was widely known that Rodolphus and Bellatrix Black, another member of the respected pureblooded families, were arranged to be married as soon as she left Hogwarts. Bellatrix was only two years older than her cousin, Sirius, who was often seen hanging around in the shadows of Lestrange and his cronies. Luckily today, James, Remus, and Peter were only met with the two of them.

“Relax, Rabastan, we'll move. We understand that you take up the whole isle and don't want to get stuck,” Peter commented. “Don't want to start a scene here,” putting his hands up in mock surrender. James smirked and noticed Sirius smiling, but Remus gave a full chuckle.

“You think that's funny, do you? You don't have any room to laugh, you're nothing but a measly half-blood, not worth my time,” he sneered.

Before James or Peter could even react in defense, Sirius had his wand out and pointed at the back of Rabastan's head. The boys stared at Sirius, shocked.

“Watch your filthy mouth, Lestrange,” said Sirius dangerously. Rabastan slowly turned around and glared at Sirius' stone face.

“How dare you draw your wand on me, Black. You don't even know how to use that thing. What would your dear mummy say?” he said with a smirk, knowing he had hit a nerve. James, Peter, and Remus watched as Sirius pocketed his wand and began to turn around and leave, defeated.

“Disgrace...” Rabastan muttered.

But Sirius heard.

He whipped back around and forcefully shoved Rabastan into the shelving behind him. The shelf teetered and a long box fell to the ground, opening and releasing a new shipment of top notch bludgers from Romania.

“Run for it! Every man for himself!” Remus shouted and ran away, Peter not far behind.

Rabastan jumped back to retaliate, but Sirius was gone. The coward ran towards the door, making his escape.

The bludgers began destroying the Quidditch store, smashing displays and barreling through shelves. James fell to the ground just as a bludger flew over his head. Kids were screaming and running for the exit. It was then that James saw Davy Gudgeons, another first year get pummeled by the rogue bludger.

“DAVY!” James called. He frantically looked around the shop and caught a glimpse of the angry shopkeeper stomping his way towards him. “Time to go!” James stood and made a run for the exit.

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New Friends and Kursed Kittens

After standing in line for what felt like hours, Lily left the bank, her change purse full of golden galleons, sickles, and knuts. There was a ruckus back towards the Quidditch store so she decided to keep going down the street and locate other shops. The redhead passed the Magical Menagerie, it looked interesting, and Gambol & Japes, a joke shop. She stopped here and peered through the window. Several kids would push past her and go in excited. This must be the place. She decided to come back after she finished her necessary shopping. Towards the end of the road Lily saw Ollivander's, Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. She walked in, the door chiming delicately as she entered.

The walls were made of deep brown wooded shelves, stacked with smaller boxes from the floor to the ceiling. It was shabby and dusty with no real color. She managed to walk up to the tall counter, the tip of her nose barely reaching the top. Lily peered over the desk and was surprisingly met by another pair of eyes peering back.

She jumped back with a small yelp and the other person stood straight up. He was an old man with white hair and small spectacles on the tip of his nose.

“Ah, Miss Evans. It's so nice to finally meet you,” he began. “What startling green eyes…” he trailed off, marveled.

“Um, thank you. I'm here to…”

“Yes, a wand for our beautiful heiress,” he said and went searching in the back among walls of boxes. Heiress? This guy was loony.

“Which is your wand arm, dearie?” he called from the back. She hesitated…

“Are you right or left handed?” he asked, reading her mind.

“Oh, right,” she answered.

A silvery tape measure shot out from behind the desk and began to measure her arm, her height, even the distance between her ear and shoulder, all on its own accord. She stood still and waited for it to finish and laughed as it measured from the tip of her nose to her kneecap. What could this possibly be helping? She thought, amused.

“That's enough,” Mr. Ollivander muttered, waving his hand irritatingly. The tape measure fluttered away. He set four boxes onto the counter as the chiming bell sounded, alerting that someone had just entered the store.

Lily turned and saw a young boy about her age enter the store. He was thin with round spectacles framing his smug looking eyes. The boy nodded his head in her direction, politely acknowledged her and looked for a seat. At least he has manners.

“Why Mr. James Potter! How are you my dear boy? It's been ages!” Mr. Ollivander said.

“I'm doing well, sir,” James stood and made his way to the counter beside Lily.

“Not getting into any trouble, I assume?” the old man asked suspiciously. James just blushed.

“Mm-hmm,” Mr. Ollivander murmured, smiling secretively.

James looked at the redheaded girl. She was a Muggle-born, that much he could tell just by her clothes. She stood taller than him, and her eyes…

“Mr. Potter, this here is another Hogwarts first year” Mr. Ollivander said, interrupting James' thoughts.

“I'm Lily,” she introduced herself.

“James Potter,” he replied, looking up at her and nodding his head again. She felt a bit uncomfortable. This boy was familiar to her. His eyes were such an intense hazel color that she had seen somewhere before. They were strong and compassionate. Could it be? She caught herself staring and quickly looked away, embarrassed when she saw his questioning expression.

“Remarkable,” Mr. Ollivander started, “Remarkable that you two have managed to meet here today. As if fate is getting an early start,” he cried and quickly walked to the back again, leaving James and Lily with identical puzzled faces.

“So, you're Muggle-born?” he asked.

“Mr. Potter, which is your wand arm?” Mr. Ollivander interrupted.

“Right, sir,” James answered. The silver tape measure shot out from behind the desk, eager to do its job properly and efficiently.

“Is it that obvious?” she grinned.

“Well… yeah,” he said shyly. She grinned and looked down, blushing. The tape measure was taking the length from his ear to his nose.

“Here we are Miss Evans,” Mr. Ollivander interrupted, handing her a wand. “Beech wood and unicorn tail, nine and a half inches. Take off!” The instrument coiled up and returned behind the counter.

She held the wand for a bit, feeling foolish, because she had no clue what to do with it.

“Well, swish it around,” he said.

Lily stared hesitantly at the wand in her hand and glanced nervously at James. He gave her a reassuring look and she bravely waved it about. Nothing happened.

“Nope. This is not the one,” the old man said and took the wand from her hand. He began shuffling through the boxes once again.

“My mum says it took her twelve tries to find her wand,” James said, noticing Lily's shamed face. It was a sweet gesture, trying to make her feel more adequate.

“I hope it doesn't take me that long, I'd be here all day!” she said, smiling. That was corny, Lily.

“Here, try this one,” Mr. Ollivander returned, handing her another wand, this one a rich burgundy color. She took it as he gave James a wand also. “Mr. Potter, 10 and three quarters inches, cedar with dragon heartstring, good and flexible,” he said, “and Miss Evans, 11 inches, holly and phoenix feather. It's quite supple.”

Lily and James took the wands in their right hands and stood facing each other. They both smiled and shipped the wands towards the window. Nothing, again. James' face fell and Lily shrugged. Mr. Ollivander quickly grabbed the wands from their hands and went to find more.

“Is this your first year at Hogwarts?” James asked, shoving his hands in the pockets of his black pants. He suddenly felt self-conscience after realizing that Mr.Ollivander already told him the answer to that, not to mention the fact that she was just now getting a wand. Really, James, could you be smoother?

“Yeah. Actually it's my first time around anything magical,” she said, noticing the blunder, but politely ignoring it.

He gave a quick surprised look then turned back to check on what the old shopkeeper was doing. He couldn't imagine a life without magic. It was all he had ever known. Mr. Ollivander returned.

“Miss Evans, I believe I've found it. 10 and a quarter inches, willow and dragon heartstring. Nice and swishy, perfect for charms work,” he said, passing the light colored wand to her. She held it momentarily, about to flick it, when a warmth spread through her body. The tip emitted a soft, silver shimmer and lit up the dark room. Almost as quickly as it happened, it ended. The air went back to normal. Ollivander was clapping his hands together and James was whooping with joy. She smiled.

“Excellent, my dear. You have been chosen,” he said, taking the wand and wrapping it up in brown paper.

“I hope I find mine as fast,” James said.

“Wow. That was incredible. It felt like all this magic in me was just waiting to be let out,” she said. James smiled back at the redhead.

“And Mr. Potter, how about we try this one,” the old man suggested, handing James a dark, black wand. “Ebony and unicorn hair, Mr. Potter. 12 and three quarters inches, glides easily.”

James took the next wand in his hand. It was heavier than the previous one with a more course texture. He was sure this wasn't the wand for him, but he'd give it a try anyhow. James raised the black wand and flicked it towards the door. The door promptly opened, the bell chiming. He was startled at first, as were Lily and Mr. Ollivander.

But no, it was only another customer entering the store.

“Bugger,” James muttered. Lily gave him a friendly pat on the back.

“Relax, James, it won't take that long,” she said. “I suppose I will see you on the train to school?” she asked expectantly.

“Absolutely,” he replied, grinning.

“Great! Thank you Mr. Ollivander. It was a pleasure to meet you,” she said politely.

“Likewise, my child,” the old man said, smiling warmly towards Lily. “You will do great things, Miss Evans, that I am sure of.”

Lily thanked the shopkeeper once more, waved goodbye to James, and headed out the door. James turned back around, his hands on his hips, and a gleeful smile on his face.

“She sure was nice, huh?” he commented.

“That she was, Mr. Potter, that she was,” Ollivander said, knowingly. “Let's get this done, shall we?”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Half an hour later, James Potter walked out of Ollivander's Wand Shoppe, his new shiny mahogany wand tucked safely in his pocket. Remus was right. That old man was a quack. His incoherent babble about `realizing you destiny' and `learning beyond your years' was beginning to annoy the eleven-year-old boy who wanted nothing more than to hex the first person he saw.

However, this was a big day for James. When a boy first gets his wand, it's kind of like a step into manhood. James walked taller now, with more confidence. Granted he didn't know how to use his wand really was irrelevant. Just the fact that he had a wand to call his very own was all he needed.

A smug look plastered on his face, James entered Gambol & Japes. This shop, full of jokes, pranks, and gags, was easily his favorite store in Diagon Alley. James jingled the knuts and few galleons he had in his pocket as he browsed the isles, looking for new Exploding Snap cards to take to Hogwarts. Just as he reached on the shelf to grab a deck, another hand bumped his, reaching for the same deck.

It was Sirius Black. James pulled his hand back the same time Sirius did. The two boys stood there for a moment, at a loss of what to say. Sirius flipped his black hair out of his eyes and took a step back.

“Sorry `bout that,” Sirius said. He gestured towards the cards, offering the top of the stack to James. Not once did Sirius' eyes meet James'. The almost shameful look in his gray eyes made James uneasy. Why was he so forgiving? James at first thought it was a façade and began to scoff at the other boy. But Sirius really was submitting.

James took the deck off the top, having to reach a little to get to the higher shelf. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and was going to walk away when a thought occurred to him.

“Er, thanks for sticking up for Remus at the Supply store,” he said. Sirius finally looked James in the eye, a small surprise evident in his expression.

“Well, Lestrange shouldn't be such a twit,” he said, smirking.

James laughed, looked down at the ground and shuffled his feet a bit, not knowing what to say now. Sirius didn't seem like such a pompous arse, as his father would say. Sirius finally reached up and took a deck.

“I needed a new deck for school,” he commented, shrugging to himself.

“So, you got your wand already?” James asked.

“Yeah, it's Ebony and dragon heartstring. That old crack, Ollivander, says it's good for transfiguration,” Sirius said, pulling the 12 inch wand out to show James.

“That's brilliant, mate, Ollivander says mine's best for transfiguration, too!” James pulled his out, rivalries forgotten. The boys looked at each other's wands for a bit, admiring the woodwork and rambling about learning new spells. Then, noticing the irony of holding each other's wands, the two quickly exchanged and put them away. James ran a hand through his hair and pushed his glasses up again.

“I just wanted to say that I'm not like the rest of my family, Potter. You should know that you, or your friends Lupin and Pettigrew, won't have to worry about me. I don't believe it's right, the rift between pure- and half-bloods and muggleborns. A wizard is a wizard in my book,” Sirius said quickly, as if getting something heavy off his chest.

James stared for a moment at Sirius, trying to decide whether he was being truthful or not. Then he grinned and stuck out his hand, inviting a friendly handshake. The boys shook on it, agreeing to not be enemies.

“I better be off,” Sirius said, flipping his hair away from his face again. James shook his head in agreement and Sirius began to take off the other direction.

“Wait, Sirius!” Sirius stopped and turned around.

“If you're not busy later, I'm meeting Remus at Florean's in about twenty minutes. Want to come?” James asked bravely. This was a step. No… a giant leap towards friendship. James was not only risking his and Sirius' current reputation, but the reputation of Remus and Peter. Sirius thought hard.

“Yeah, I'll be there,” he answered, smiling. He turned back around and walked towards the counter of the joke shop. Sirius paid for his cards and headed back out to the cobblestone street. He stepped through the door and stood there for a moment, reliving what had just happened. This dark life he thought would never change, never give him a chance to be who he wanted to be, was beginning to look a little brighter. Taking a deep breath, Sirius moved on to the next store, the Magical Menagerie.

From the outside window, Sirius watched the multi colored kittens play skittishly amongst themselves. He was particularly fond of a shorthaired, aqua blue tinted feline, which kept to itself in the back corner of the pen. It was then that he noticed the girl reaching her hand into the box to either pick up or pet one of the kittens. Sirius ran for it, inside the door and around the corner, and roughly grabbed her by the shoulder to stop her.

“Don't!” he cried out. Just as she pulled her hand back, a feisty orange cat jumped at her hand with multiple rows of razor sharp teeth, his claws out, and his eyes a glowering red. The redheaded girl yelped with surprise.

“Those aren't normal kittens,” Sirius said matter-of-factly.

“I'd bloody well say so,” she said shrilly.

Sirius laughed and pulled her aside, taking in her appearance. She was definitely a muggleborn. The dramatic clothing she wore was an eyesore and her naivety towards the

Kursed Kittens was laughable, but somehow Sirius was drawn to her. The girl looked at him kindly now, calming down from the near catastrophe. Sirius chuckled to himself at his own pun.

“I'm sorry, I should be more grateful. Thank you for doing that. I appreciate it,” she said, smoothing out her shirt and reaching up to tidy her ponytail. She stopped primping and looked up into his eyes, for he was a good couple of inches taller than her. Their smoky hue caught her off guard. They were so deep, so intense, as if hiding a secret.

“I'm Sirius Black,” he said, offering his hand.

“I'm Lily. Lily Evans.”

A/N: Thank you so much for reviewing!!

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Greasy Encounters

Sirius did his shopping the week before and was only at Diagon Alley now because his parents dropped him off to get him out of their hair, so he offered to help Lily to her next stop. After all, he wasn't busy and she was a lovely girl. She was spontaneous, liberating and uniquely intelligent with a bit of sarcastic wit, which, to him, made her pleasant and entertaining to be around. She laughed at all his dull jokes and was fascinated by everything he said. He rarely was given the chance to interact with Muggles or Muggleborns.

He escorted her to Flourish & Blotts to help her get all the texts she needed. She marveled at the various types of books in the store. Some were normal muggle style prints while others screamed horrid insults at you as you passed by or ran away to hide behind the nearest stack of stationary publications. Along with her required texts, Sirius advised Lily to get Hogwarts, A History and a copy of the most recent Witch Weekly to catch up in the Wizarding world.

“Sirius, I just have one question,” Lily said as she struggled to carry only two of the books she needed to purchase while Sirius carried the other four stacked up beyond the height of his own face. He peered expectantly around the massive stack as Lily continued, “How in the world am I expected to carry these, along with the rest of my things, through Diagon Alley and home?”

They reached the counter and heaved the heavy things on top, sliding them over to the employee, a middle aged woman with graying wisps of hair frizzed out around her face and an indescribably hideous wart on her chin. She received them, sneering with dislike as Sirius gave a dramatic performance complaining at how absurdly heavy the books were and that he was going to send a strongly worded owl as soon as he was home. Sirius turned around and caught his breath as the cashier rolled her eyes at the young first year.

“See, Lily, since you don't have your cauldron yet, they take care of that for you,” he said. Lily stared back at him, waiting for the punch. It seemed like it was always something in this world. Though before he could explain the lady worker shrunk the books to the size of sheets of paper with a wave of her hand, placed them delicately inside of a thick cardboard folder, and handed them to Lily, smiling at her with yellow, decaying teeth.

“Thanks,” Lily said and took the folder, anxious to get out of there. With a little help from Sirius deciphering the different coins in her change purse, Lily paid the lady and started towards the door. Sirius was hot on her heels, stopping her as soon as they reached the street.

“I have to go meet some…friends,” he said.

“Oh,” she replied looking a little upset. Lily scanned the street quickly, her eyes spotting the Cauldron Shoppe and the Apothecary. “I still need a few things, so I will just be off. It was nice meeting you, Sirius,” she rambled quickly and turned to go.

“Oy!” he cried and grabbed her arm. “I'm not trying to ditch you. I just really have to meet some people, it's important,” he said apologetically. She looked down.

Lily wasn't really mad, just a little disappointed. This was her first real friend she had met. Only the second person her age she had talked to at all. She was scared of losing her chance to make true friends. But he was so nice, so pleasant, understanding and patient with her ignorance of the magical world. His smile was so warm.

“How about this? I can meet you on September first at the train station. You won't know how to get to the platform. Just wait for me between platforms nine and ten and we can ride to Hogwarts together. Sound good?” he asked.

“Sure. I'll be there,” she answered. He grinned a walked the other direction.

“Sirius! What time?” she asked.

“Ten thirty!” he called back to her, waved, and kept going.

“See you!” she yelled. Lily stood there for a moment, collecting her thoughts. He would be there, right? She shrugged. Lily had no reason not to trust him. She glanced down at her orange and green striped watch, the one her mum gave her for her birthday. She still had an hour and a half left.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

James and Remus sat at a patio table outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, relishing in delicious ice cream sundaes. They chatted merrily about the upcoming year. The boys had just bought some Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks and were planning their attack on James' little sister when they were interrupted by another person taking a seat at their table.

“What do you want?” Remus said dryly. Sirius said nothing but looked right at James.

“Remus, I invited Sirius to sit with us earlier,” James said, watching Remus closely for a reaction. He made no face, just shifted in his seat a bit. He didn't understand why James would ask this pureblooded maniac to have ice cream with them, especially after what had happened at the Supply store.

“Sirius, I invited you because I assumed you had a good reason for sticking up for Remus, here, earlier today and you would want to explain,” James said hopefully. He figured it was the subtle way of demanding an explanation. Sirius hesitated for a moment and then decided he might as well. In for knut, in for a galleon.

“I know that I am a Black and that I am supposed to adhere to the Pureblooded principle, that only pureblooded wizards are worth anything. But the truth is, I don't. I never have. I have reason for this, but I hardly know you,” he said hastily. Sirius waited for a response.

“Good deal, mate,” James said. “Oy, Gloria!” he called after the waitress, “Can we get another sundae? Pretty please with a chocolate frog on top?” The waitress smiled at the boys and went into the parlor. James looked to Remus and nodded his head, confirming his next action. Remus nodded back, their expressions serious and solemn. Then they both leaned in towards Sirius who pulled back in uncertainty.

“Alright, Black, this is the deal breaker… who do you cheer for?” James asked. It only confused Sirius for a split second.

“Falcons,” he answered. James and Remus both threw their hands up and scoffed at him. Remus groaned loudly while James hung his head. The Falmouth Falcons were a strong Quidditch team, but it wasn't their team. Remus, Peter, and James all religiously cheered for the Wimbourne Wasps.

“Amazing, Black. Although it doesn't surprise me at all,” James said. “We're Stingers actually. But we won't hold this against you.” James said seriously.

“Stingers? Are you kidding? No one beats the Falcons, Potter. Did you hear about their match against the Holyhead Harpies last week?” Sirius asked and the race was off. “Chapman and Bell pulled off the Dopplebeater Defense play perfectly and after Shreve caught the snitch they won by a landslide!”

“Ha, I beg to differ, my friend,” Remus said. He then started in on how the Falcons were dirty players, having to result to violence to win when the Wasps were strategists. The boys talked straight though two sundaes. It wasn't until Sirius saw one of his arch enemies taunting his friend, that their conversation stopped.

“We need to go check this out,” Sirius said in the middle of a Gobstones discussion, rising from the table and heading towards the Apothecary. James and Remus took one look at the situation and followed Sirius.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Lily was having an interesting day alright. Everything that could have gone wrong at the Cauldron Shoppe went wrong. First she literally ran into a short, grumpy kid with long brown hair, knocking him and herself over. He wasn't exactly forgiving. He screamed at her a bit, something about a filthy Muggle, and left her there with the contents of her shopping bag sprawled out on the floor. Lily whined as she picked her things up off the floor, realizing that the folder her books were condensed into had opened and all her books were full sized again. The small eleven year old tried to stack all the books neatly and was interrupted when a nice girl started to help her out.

“Have you bought your cauldron yet?” the young lady asked. The newcomer was older than her, Lily would guess about three years, and stood tall with her light brown hair cut at about her shoulders. She smiled kindly at Lily.

“Yes, just did actually,” Lily responded and picked up her pewter cauldron, which was roughly a tad larger than a football. The older girl took the cauldron and put in on the floor, picked up Lily's books, and put them inside. Lily watched wide-eyed as all of her school books fit into the tiny cauldron. That's why Sirius said she needed her cauldron. Then the girl picked it up with no problem and handed it back to Lily.

“It's an enchantment. My name is Patricia, what's yours?” she asked.

“I'm Lily,” she replied. Patricia stuck out her hand for a gentle handshake. She was very thin and seemed delicate to Lily.

“I'm going to be a fourth year at Hogwarts. Are you a first year?” Patricia asked as she gathered her own things from the ground.

“Going to be.”

“You're brave coming here all on you own for the first time, Lily. Maybe you'll be in Gryffindor. I'm in Hufflepuff myself. Never was one for bravery,” the girl laughed, picking her own items up into her arms.

“Thank you for helping me, Patricia,” Lily said, sensing the girl had to leave.

“It was nothing. Take care of yourself and I will see you at school,” she said. Patricia whisked away, with a twinkle in her brown eyes. Lily had met her fair share of nice and rude people here at Diagon Alley. As she left the Cauldron Shoppe, she mentally checked off her list of things to do, still needing potions supplies. Lily looked up and down the street and saw the Apothecary two doors down. She still had a few minutes before she needed to meet Petunia back at the Leaky Cauldron so she started on her way.

As soon as Lily stepped off the sidewalk and onto the cobblestone street she was broad sided by a little boy on a low flying broom. She fell over with surprise, managing to keep her things together this time, and began shouting at the kid. Nothing was going right.

The Apothecary was dreary, cold, and lifeless. Inside the door, a thick, rotting wood, she discovered a deathlike atmosphere. There were rows of shelves, each holding jars of ingredients and labeled to perfection. In alphabetical order, Lily went through her list and down the rows, silently collecting her materials. People would pass by and sneer at her. Every now and then she would see a friendly face, but no one dared to speak to each other.

She collected beetle eyes, billywig stings, lacewings, unicorn hairs, and to her disgust, toad brains. She carefully put her new bought things into her cauldron and left for the The Leaky Cauldron, thankful to get out of there. On the way out, she once again bumped into someone, this time it someone more on her level.

“Am I going to run into every bloody person in Diagon Alley?” she muttered to herself, as she picked up her once again scattered supplies. At least this time my books didn't explode.

“Sorry `bout that, I guess I'm just in my own little world,” she said apologetically to the person, not yet looking him in the face.

“You should be sorry, dirty Mudblood, now I'll have to wash my robes again,” the voice replied sneeringly.

Lily whirled around, feeling insulted. She had no clue as to what “mudblood” meant, but by his distasteful tone she knew it was inappropriate. She glared at his deep brown eyes, as dark as the bottom of the ocean on a winter night. He had shoulder-length, uncombed hair with a greasy tint to it and a hooked nose that pointed downward. Definitely not as attractive as Sirius.

“Listen, I said I was sorry. You didn't even get your packages knocked about, so no harm done,” she said firmly.

Severus Snape looked at the girl in front of him. He would admit, she was quite pretty, but there something about her. He just didn't like her, and for some reason he hated her. The boy threateningly advanced on Lily, causing her to stumble back with either surprise or fear, he wasn't sure.

“Oh, there was plenty harm done, Muggle-”

“Alright there Lily?” said someone from behind the boy. “Bothering a young lady, are we Snape? Didn't your mother ever tell you that if you want a girl to fancy you, you have to wash that filthy hair of yours?”

Snape spun around wildly to face the voice. Lily stepped on her tip toes and peered over her antagonizers' shoulders. Standing there with their hands in fists was, in Lily's opinion, one of the cutest boys she had ever seen. It was James Potter, her friend from the wand shoppe. Why he looked ten times more appealing than ever, she didn't know. Next to him was Sirius and another young man with light chestnut colored hair that was cut short.

“Get outta here Snape before we make you. I hate to use violence in front of the ladies,” said Sirius. Lily smiled at her friends. They had come to her rescue. How chivalrous.

Snape glared at the three boys, recognizing defeat. He turned back to Lily, who pressed herself up against the brick wall. Even though she would never admit it, Lily didn't handle confrontation very well. This intimidation was making her increasingly uncomfortable.

“Would have known Potty would be the one to save you. Better watch your back this year, don't make the enemies with the wrong people,” he hissed loudly enough for the boys to hear.

“Go Snape, before I knock you back to primary school!” James shouted as Severus stalked away, down the stone pathway, and into a dark alleyway. Lily watched him leave, breathing a sigh of relief. She looked back to her friends, thankful to see them again.

“Sirius! James!” she called.

“You know her?” both boys asked, looking wide-eyed at each other. Lily walked up to them and smiled happily.

“Sirius, I met James at Ollivander's. And I met Sirius when he saved me from having my hand bitten off at the Menagerie” she said. “I didn't know you were friends.”

“Well…” James began, “it's sort of-”

“Funny how things happen, isn't it?” Sirius cut in. He grinned softly at Lily, then at James. James picked up on the hint and kept his mouth shut. He heard Remus cough softly behind them and turned around, pulling the shy boy towards Lily.

“Lily, this is our friend, Remus Lupin,” he introduced. Remus was content with just a head nod and a sullen “hullo,” but Lily grabbed his wrist, forcing him into a handshake.

“It's nice to meet you, Remus,” she smiled. Then Lily glanced down the street, carefully patrolling for signs of the nasty boy again. “Who, may I ask, was that guy?”

“Severus Snape. He's a slimy git. Belongs to one of the darkest wizard families in Great Britain,” Sirius answered, feeling slightly guilty for not telling her about his own family. “He won't bother you again, my mates and I will see to that.”

James and Remus both nodded their heads in a silent agreement. Lily sighed and hoisted her things on her hip, pushing it out further to accommodate the load. She dropped her change purse in the transition and Remus promptly retrieved it for her, blushing madly.

“Well, boys, I must be going. My sister will be waiting for me outside of The Leaky Cauldron,” she said sadly. “Sirius, am I still meeting you at the station?”

Sirius blushed and quickly glanced at his new friends. James and Remus raised their eyebrows in surprise and slowly turned their heads to stare at Sirius. Lily ignored them, smiling at Sirius and waiting for his answer.

“Yeah, I'll be there. Ten thirty,” he said quietly and quickly. “You can count on me.”

“Wonderful! `Bye Sirius, `bye James, Remus. I'll see you on the first!” she grinned cheekily and took off towards the pub, her scarlet ponytail tossing from side to side as she walked. The three eleven year olds watched her go for a moment and then retreated back to their table across the road. They sat down in silence and finished their sundaes with only the sounds of their spoons clinking against the glass ice cream bowls.

Remus couldn't stand it anymore.

“She was pretty,” he breathed. James and Sirius nodded, scraping the remaining gooey mess.

“Guys, we're only eleven, for Merlin's sake! We'll think about how pretty she is later,” James said after another few minutes passed in quietness. It was Remus and Sirius' turn to nod.

“Yeah,” Sirius agreed, “She's just a girl. We'll probably see loads of pretty girls once we get to school. What could possibly be so special about this one?”

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