**Here it is! My friends have been after me to use FF.net for a little
while now, so I finally decided to pay attention. I hope you enjoy my
meager tribute to the wonderful world JKR created with her books. The
following are just snippets of the lives of James, Lily, and the rest of
the gang, and I will strive to update their world as much as I can. Of
course, I am in no way affiliated with HP, either books, movies, JKR, or
Warner Bros (as I could never attain their greatness! ;) Please enjoy!**
The was nothing magical about the goings on in Essex that same morning. At the same time that James Potter and his friend Sirius were receiving their letters with excitement, Lily Evans was making her way downstairs to the breakfast table, owls, magic and special letters the furthest thing from her mind. For Lily, everything was ordinary and commonplace. Unknown to her, Lily was what James and Sirius would call 'a muggle.'
Lily had all the makings, according to Dad, to be whatever she wished. This morning, all she wished was hear something from Lanville Hall, the boarding school which accepted only the most talented young girls in England. Lily had applied to several schools over the summer, and was hoping to get accepted to the very best.
"Patience is a virtue," said Mum kindly as Lily checked the once again letter-less post.
Lily nodded and kissed Dad on the cheek. He chuckled and continued reading his paper, which showed a picture of the Queen handing something golden to another famous person.
Across the table, her sister Petunia was frowning at her. Or she could have been frowning in disgust at her porridge, or frowning in concentration as she tried to overhear the goings-on in the flat below. Petunia was usually frowning, and she seemed to frown the most whenever Lily appeared.
Just as Lily was spooning the last of the butter on her toast, Petunia suddenly spoke up. "You did it again, last night."
Lily paused the knife in mid-air. "What?"
"Moved my bed. I saw you."
"I didn't touch your bed."
"You didn't touch it. You moved it with your eyes."
"Petunia," cried Mum, "you're not on about this business again, are you? We've had enough of this discussion."
Petunia narrowed her eyes. "But I felt it, Mum," she whined. "Lily took my doll, I took it back, and she stared at me. Then my bed thumped up and down. She's a freak."
Lily thought for a moment. Petunia had actually taken her doll, and wouldn't give it back. When Lily had tried to grab it, Petunia had shoved her to the floor. She remembered staring meanly at her sister, but...
"You can't move beds with your eyes," said Lily. "That's silly. It would be like...like magic."
"Or just being a freak."
Dad put his newspaper aside for a moment to stare at Petunia. "I think you've been watching too much telly. There is no such thing as magic. No more telly for you."
Petunia slumped in her chair, her horsy face twisted into her most common frown—jealous disappointment.
Lily thought about what Dad had said, her butter knife still poised in mid-air. She didn't often disagree with her father, but she wasn't entirely certain that he was right. At times, Lily could almost swear she'd witnessed people doing magic. Not the tricks she's seen performed at her friends birthday parties, but the kind of magic found only in her storybooks.
One time, she'd walked with her parents into a nearby park, and saw a man in a long gray beard take out what appeared to be a wand. After a moment, all the pigeons in the park had flocked to him. Another time, when she and her family were on holiday, she had been sure she'd seen, out of the corner of her eye, a young man flying on a broomstick. When she'd looked back in the direction he came from, however, he had vanished without a trace, and Lily wasn't entirely sure she hadn't made it up.
But the most amazing instance had been when she and her parents were visiting London. There, they'd passed by a strange, boarded up old tavern. But as she paused to look in the window, the planking had seemed to disappear, and she found herself staring through a very bright window at a strangely dressed woman, who seemed just as surprised to see Lily as Lily was to see her. Beyond the woman, she'd caught a glimpse of other strange people, all dressed in robes, before her Mum had pulled her away.
She tried to explain to Petunia what she'd seen, but her sister wouldn't believe her. Instead, she crossed her bony arms and told Lily she was mental. But Lily did notice that, on occasion, strange things would happen if she got upset. Not as strange as Petunia claimed, but certainly far from ordinary. Often, her sister's things would vanish—and right about the time that Petunia started bothering Lily about something or another. Other times, she would wish for something hard enough to occur, and it very often did. Once, Lily wished that the door to her and her sister's room would stay shut long enough for her to have some time alone. Just as Petunia tried to enter, the door slammed closed in her face, and wouldn't open for another half an hour even when Lily turned the knob from the inside. This was about that time Petunia started to tell Mum and Dad that Lily was strange—and Lily that she was a freak.
Mum and Dad hadn't believed her, of course. And as for the funny things that occurred whenever Lily would get upset or angry—Dad ignored them as mere coincidence. Or her blamed her heritage: "Red hair, green eyes—it means a blazing temper, that's what. Everything is going to be powerful around those eyes."
Lily would smile at him.
She lowered the knife to the butter, grimacing at Petunia for a moment before fixing up her toast, and returning her thoughts to her long anticipated letter.
From somewhere nearby, there came a tap. Then another.
Mum stopped the dishwashing for a moment to listen, and Dad placed his paper down for a moment, tilting his head to the side as though checking he'd heard right. They both turned to the window, and Petunia, who'd been crouched down in her chair, suddenly screamed.
An owl was hovering just outside the kitchen window, its beak clamped tightly around an aged parchment envelope. It turned its head just a bit to survey the goings on inside the flat, then tapped the window again.
Mum dropped the dish she was holding and Petunia nearly fell over backwards as she attempted to move as far from the window as possible. Dad started, rose, then moved slowly over to the window. When it became obvious that the owl wanted the window open, he carefully turned the latch, and began to move the pane.
The owl waited for the window to open just a crack, and with a neat twist of its head, shot the letter inside the kitchen as cleanly as if it were a letter box. With a seemingly satisfied hoot, it flew away.
Dad picked the letter up from the floor, his eyes widening as he read the address. He glanced up at Lily, who was still frozen in surprise in her seat at the table. He extended it towards her.
"Lily, it's addressed to you."
Lily gulped and took the letter from him. In neat, green writing was written:
Lily Evans
Breakfast table
Flat 12
Austen Park
Essex
The envelope was sealed with a strange red wax, upon which the letter "H" was stamped. Below the stamp was a beautiful embossed heraldry with a lion, a snake, a bird, and a badger.
She turned the envelope over and over in her hands, almost disbelieving it was real. Could it be from Lanville hall? Did they use a strange form of address system?
"Well, go on, open it!" cried Mum.
With a hesitant hand Lily broke through the seal and pulled out a few sheets of parchment paper. On the topmost leaf, written in the same neat writing as the envelope, was an acceptance note, which she read aloud:
Dear Miss Evans:
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
The letter was signed: Minerva McGonagall.
Also in the envelope was a strange list of school items, including a pewter cauldron (standard size 2), work robes (plain black) and dragon hide gloves (real dragon hide).
"Owl?" asked Mum.
"Is this some kind of joke?" cried Petunia, snatching the letter from Lily's hand.
"Give it back!" Lily shouted.
"Enough!" said Dad, taking the letters from Petunia's grasp. He surveyed them for a moment, then turned to the final letter of the parcel.
"This is no joke," he said finally. "Listen."
Dear Miss Evans:
Congratulations on your acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As is customary for non-wizarding families, the Ministry of Magic would like to present an introduction to you and your relations about your admission into the wonderful world of magic, enchantment and wizarding skills.
You are scheduled for a conference Monday the 22nd of July at 10:00 am. During that time you should remain in your flat and await an apparating or flooing member of the Ministry of Magic Board of Muggle Hospitality, who will explain a bit more about your new privileges and benefits as a family in the wizarding community.
Should you be unable to attend this conference, a make-up conference can be scheduled by owl or by telleyphone at the following number:
1-800-wizards
If calling by telleyphone, please expect technical difficulties as most of our operating respondents are unfamiliar with this system.
As a matter of course, the Board of Hospitality, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and the Ministry of Magic request that you do not disclose anything about Hogwarts, this letter, or the wizarding world to any of your non-wizarding acquaintances. Severe repercussions will occur if this rule is violated (International Muggle Cooperation Act, Art 1, ch 7, sec ii).
We are delighted that you could join us, and look forward to speaking with you.
Sincerely,
Markus Macray, Board of Muggle Hospitality Supervisor Department of Magical Law Enforcement Ministry of Magic
"This is absolutely the largest, most obnoxious joke anyone could play on us!" Petunia shouted. "The Board of Muggle Hospitality? The Ministry of Magic? Do they believe that we are fools? Did you put her up to this, Dad? Did you decide to play a bit of a funny on us all?"
Dad looked grave. "This is no joke, Petunia, unless we are all being played for fools. I have never heard of the Ministry of Magic, or a muggle, but July the 22nd is today."
"You have work dear, don't you?" asked Mum shakily. "I do not want to be here if you're not going to be here. Get dressed girls, we're going out."
Lily frowned as Petunia bolted for the door.
"WAIT!" cried Dad. "We're not going anywhere. We're going to wait and have this sorted out."
"DAD!"
"But dear, your work..."
"Can wait, my dear. I'll phone and say we have a family emergency. We'll see what the pranksters are about today." He turned to Lily. "Don't worry, darling. We'll have this thing sorted out in a bit."
Lily nodded, a bit overwhelmed, and, despite her better judgment, a bit excited as well.
At ten o'clock, the Evans family gathered around the door, silent and rather anxious. At 10:02, Petunia was pacing back and forth down the hall; at 10:05 she was seated in front of the fireplace, sneering at Lily.
"I told you this was just a prank."
Lily frowned at her, slightly disappointed, and terribly confused. Who would have gone through such an elaborate set-up simply to make it a hoax?
"Magical Ministry...who would ever have..."
Petunia screamed as a great blaze of green fire burst from the fireplace, knocking her backward in the armchair. Lily leapt behind her father, who stood in the doorway, eyes wide, as a young, gangly, blonde- haired man entered their living room, coughing and waving his arms to dissipate the glittering green smoke.
"S-Sorry about that...used too much. Haven't utilized the Floo system in a few months, you know!"
Dad squared his shoulders. "And who...who are you, sir?"
The newcomer looked up, and coughed. "S-So...S-sorry. I'm A-ba- r..." He doubled over, still coughing.
"Would you like something to drink, sir?" asked Mum, sliding cautiously towards the kitchen.
"N-no...'s okay..." the young man spluttered, reaching inside his robes and pulling out a beautifully carved stick of wood. A Wand, thought Lily, as he waved it around and muttered something under his breath.
In a flash, the smoke was gone.
Petunia whimpered something about lunatics from behind the fallen armchair and covered her head.
"Now then, let's see. I'm Abler Goodwin, your representative from the Muggle Hospitality Off...I say, a clock!" He moved over towards the mantle time piece, staring at it as though he'd never seen one before. "It has numbers on it! Its been a while since I've seen one of these!"
Mum stared at him as though he'd lost his mind.
But Dad appeared amused, and moved towards the young man. "Er...sir? You say you're with the..."
Mr. Goodwin was still observing the clock, poking at the numbers with the point of his wand. "I'd forgotten about these. Fascinating..."
"Mr. Goodwin?"
The blond haired man jumped. "Oh...OH! I'm terribly sorry. I've been a part of the wizarding world for so long, I've forgotten that muggles get along just fine without our devices."
"Devices?" asked Mum.
"Magical devices," replied Mr. Goodwin, brandishing his wand again.
Petunia whimpered something that sounded like "madhouse" and buried her head in the wool afghan.
"Magic?" Lily moved towards Mr. Goodwin, eyeing his beautiful wand with delight. "Real Magic? Like spells and potions and such?"
Mr. Goodwin's smile grew broad. "You must be Miss Evans. Yes, we practice all of those, and much, much more, if I do say so myself. There is an entire world outside of this one...a world where wizards and witches study, work, and live...right alongside muggles."
"Muggles? What are muggles?"
Mr. Goodwin scratched his head. "Well, let's see...a muggle is a person–a human being, I suppose–who has absolutely no ability to do magic whatsoever. Like your parents, for instance. Full-blood, non-magical muggle."
Mum pursed her lips at this. "Well, then, and what about Lily?"
Mr. Goodwin winked. "Miss Evans...well, young Miss Evans is not a full-blood, non-magical muggle. In fact, she's not a muggle at all. She's a witch."
"I'm a what?"
"I knew it!" shrieked Petunia, leaping from beneath her woolen fort. "I knew there was something wrong with her! She is a witch! A...a...freak!"
"Well, I say, that's not very kind," frowned Mr. Goodwin, as Lily's face paled. "In fact, Miss Evans is far from being...well...a freak of any kind. She's just a witch. There are thousands of them running around all over England. All over the world, in fact. There is nothing extraordinary about any of them, other than that they can use magic."
Her sister gulped. "Thousands? Do...do they put curses on you and turn you into toads and such?"
Mr. Goodwin let out a great laugh. "The things Muggles believe! No! Witches are not as they have been told in storybooks...well, occasionally there will be a bad egg in the mix, but isn't that to be expected among all types of people? We've never had an evil wizard or witch that went about slaughtering muggles or wizards. Could you imagine? It would cause mass panic. We'd actually have to let on to muggles that we exist. But if we ever did have such a person, what we'd call a "dark wizard"–and there have been a few minor ones in the past–we'd lock them soundly away in Azkaban."
"Azkaban?" chattered Petunia.
"Azkaban prison, of course, where all bad wizards go. Horrid place," he shivered. "There aren't many tenants there now. Even the name is enough to deter wizards from using their magic for dark purposes."
Dad glanced from Abler's freckled face to Petunia's blanched one. "Why has no one spoken of this "wizarding world" before anyhow? Why don't moogles know about it?"
"Muggles." Abler corrected cheerfully, and shrugged. "I think its because that would generate a mass panic. All the muggles in the world, finding out there is magic that actually works? They wouldn't know what to do. Some would probably try and find a way to hurt or exile wizards, others would want to manipulate the power for dangerous purposes. Long ago, both the heads of the wizarding world and the muggle world decided it would be better for the wizarding world to remain hidden."
"Do the heads know now? Are the Muggles aware..."
"Oh yes. The Minister of Magic has a weekly meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss current events and occurrences. They are quite good friends, actually."
"Fascinating" said Dad. "Absolutely."
"Isn't it, though? But now," Abler began to dig around in his robes, "you know about the situation, we should get onto business. I will need you to sign..." he produced a long, wrinkled piece of parchment from somewhere inside a pocket, "...this."
Dad unfurled the tattered document.
Vow of Muggle Silence regarding Wizarding Affairs
I, the undersigned, do hereby understand and accept all terms, conditions, rules and regulations regarding revelations of the wizarding world and its for to be disclosed anomalies, irregularities, and addendums. I forthwith promise that:
I. Under no circumstance shall I ask assistance of any wizard of my acquaintance for aid in Muggle affairs, including, but not limited to, health, wealth, happiness, criminal undertakings, transportation, beauty, history, sightseeing, pharmalogical concerns or weaponry;
II. Under no circumstance shall I reveal any information regarding the existence of wizards, witches, the wizarding world, wizarding tools, animals, or objects; wizarding locations, or wizarding habits, customs, holidays, or practices to non-wizard certified muggles;
III. Under no circumstance shall I attempt to utilize any ideas, objects, creatures, or magical elements associated with or procured from the wizarding world, wizards, or witches without the proper assistance and approval of a certified wizard or witch;
IV. I further understand that any attempt to utilize or reveal anything regarding the wizarding world could result in severe punishment by both wizarding and/or Muggle authorities, the severity of which could include but is not limited to...
a. Incarceration in Azkaban or a similar Muggle prison
b. Severe limitations on knowledge regarding wizarding
affairs
c. significant fines
d. Possible transfiguration and/or potion induced
alternate states
e. exile from the wizarding world
V. Terms and conditions
a. For the purposes of this contract, a "certified wizard
or witch" is a wizard/witch who has received full accreditation
from a certified wizarding academy and has been officially
acknowledged as trained and capable in wizarding affairs.
b. Objects considered covered under this provision
include, but are not limited to...
1. All fantastic beasts and creatures research and
listed in accredited wizarding volumes, including
mythological beasts and previously discovered beasts.
A. Reported "sightings" of aforesaid magical
creatures are covered under the vow of Muggle silence
and do not sever the contract.
2. All wizarding potions and spells hereby created
or not yet created.
A. This does not include spells created for
fantastic storytelling if there is no legitimate
basis for the spell; all inquires should be made to
the Muggle Affairs office Legitimate Spell Division.
3. Wizarding dress, cultural habits, hobbies and
practices–for further information please see Addendum A.
4. Any other magical object, creature, person,
practice or event not described under these terms and
conditions. For additional information please see Addendum
B.
Fully understanding and appreciating the vow I hereby make, I, the undersigned, do acknowledge the VOW OF MUGGLE SILENCE and do hereby accept all terms and conditions that apply, declaring my acquiescence with said terms and conditions by applying my signature to the following lines.
Undersigned Witnessed _____________ _____________
on this, the ___ day of ____, Muggle year ___; wizarding date ______
Great Seal of the Ministry of Magic
"Here you are," said Abler kindly, handing Dad a feather.
"Wait just one moment...what are we agreeing to here? What is a 'Vow of Muggle silence?' And what are Addendums A and B?"
"Standard Contract," replied Abler. "A Vow of Muggle silence is necessary to make sure that no newly-inducted wizards, witches or their families go about telling the muggle world about their powers. Most families are fairly good about this, considering the circumstances, but do have a few jabbers every year, and it causes quite a fuss, makes wizards go into overtime, causes an overuse of Memory Charms–that sort of nonsense."
He pulled out his wand, and muttered "aparecio."
Two large volumes appeared in mid-air before him. "Here. Addendums A and B."
Lily reached for one of the heavy books. "Dementor...Dugbog...Flibbertigibbet...Ghosts...Gillyweed....are all of these things I can't talk about? Ever?"
"With your family, of course you may. And your other wizarding friends. Just not the general muggle world, or your old muggle friends. Its quite easy, once you get around to it. Things in the wizarding world are not the same as things in the Muggle world. It will be no different from what you experienced before you came into it, except that you will better understand what those things are, and be able to make the distinction between your place in the muggle world and your place in the wizarding world. Trust me," he smiled. "My parents and I had to sign one as well, and we never had a problem."
"But...there's so much here...how are we supposed to know what not to talk about?
"Well, young witches are not allowed to use magic away from the magical academies anyhow, so you won't need to worry for a while. The rest is so strange and new that it is not something that would come up in normal muggle conversation. Actually, the greatest problem is usually that first initial rush of excitement. You know, the desire to run about and tell your friends and neighbors that you're going to learn to use a wand and fly and such. Last time we had one family tell almost half of Cheapside. Took about fifteen of us and a number of rather unpleasant Memory Charms to fix it."
Lily almost dropped the book. "Fly?"
Petunia gulped. "Unpleasant Memory...?"
"Fascinating," her father breathed, his eyes sparkling.
"There is a spell," said Abler uncertainly, brandishing his wand once more, "that can be used to prevent slips of the tongue. It's often used for a temporary time, until the shock has passed." He eyed Petunia as he spoke.
Dad shook his head. "I don't think that will be necessary." He reached for the feather, eyed it for a moment, then put the point to the paper and signed his name with a scratchy flourish.
Abler produced three more contracts. "I can make as many of these as you wish, for whomever in your immediate family you wish to certify as a "wizard-certified muggle." I'll conference with you in about a week to determine who you believe capable of learning of the wizarding world. In the meantime," he produced another letter, and a diagram, "we must show Miss Evans where her tools for school and how transportation to Hogwarts will be handled. I'm afraid that most of this takes place in London, but it shouldn't be too difficult, once you've learned a bit about the landmarks. Let me give you a little information about what to expect with regards to the wizards you shall meet. I warn you, sometimes it can be quite a shock."
Lily smiled and nodded as he handed her the map, glancing at the young wizard's attire excitedly. "I think I'm quite ready."
The was nothing magical about the goings on in Essex that same morning. At the same time that James Potter and his friend Sirius were receiving their letters with excitement, Lily Evans was making her way downstairs to the breakfast table, owls, magic and special letters the furthest thing from her mind. For Lily, everything was ordinary and commonplace. Unknown to her, Lily was what James and Sirius would call 'a muggle.'
Lily had all the makings, according to Dad, to be whatever she wished. This morning, all she wished was hear something from Lanville Hall, the boarding school which accepted only the most talented young girls in England. Lily had applied to several schools over the summer, and was hoping to get accepted to the very best.
"Patience is a virtue," said Mum kindly as Lily checked the once again letter-less post.
Lily nodded and kissed Dad on the cheek. He chuckled and continued reading his paper, which showed a picture of the Queen handing something golden to another famous person.
Across the table, her sister Petunia was frowning at her. Or she could have been frowning in disgust at her porridge, or frowning in concentration as she tried to overhear the goings-on in the flat below. Petunia was usually frowning, and she seemed to frown the most whenever Lily appeared.
Just as Lily was spooning the last of the butter on her toast, Petunia suddenly spoke up. "You did it again, last night."
Lily paused the knife in mid-air. "What?"
"Moved my bed. I saw you."
"I didn't touch your bed."
"You didn't touch it. You moved it with your eyes."
"Petunia," cried Mum, "you're not on about this business again, are you? We've had enough of this discussion."
Petunia narrowed her eyes. "But I felt it, Mum," she whined. "Lily took my doll, I took it back, and she stared at me. Then my bed thumped up and down. She's a freak."
Lily thought for a moment. Petunia had actually taken her doll, and wouldn't give it back. When Lily had tried to grab it, Petunia had shoved her to the floor. She remembered staring meanly at her sister, but...
"You can't move beds with your eyes," said Lily. "That's silly. It would be like...like magic."
"Or just being a freak."
Dad put his newspaper aside for a moment to stare at Petunia. "I think you've been watching too much telly. There is no such thing as magic. No more telly for you."
Petunia slumped in her chair, her horsy face twisted into her most common frown—jealous disappointment.
Lily thought about what Dad had said, her butter knife still poised in mid-air. She didn't often disagree with her father, but she wasn't entirely certain that he was right. At times, Lily could almost swear she'd witnessed people doing magic. Not the tricks she's seen performed at her friends birthday parties, but the kind of magic found only in her storybooks.
One time, she'd walked with her parents into a nearby park, and saw a man in a long gray beard take out what appeared to be a wand. After a moment, all the pigeons in the park had flocked to him. Another time, when she and her family were on holiday, she had been sure she'd seen, out of the corner of her eye, a young man flying on a broomstick. When she'd looked back in the direction he came from, however, he had vanished without a trace, and Lily wasn't entirely sure she hadn't made it up.
But the most amazing instance had been when she and her parents were visiting London. There, they'd passed by a strange, boarded up old tavern. But as she paused to look in the window, the planking had seemed to disappear, and she found herself staring through a very bright window at a strangely dressed woman, who seemed just as surprised to see Lily as Lily was to see her. Beyond the woman, she'd caught a glimpse of other strange people, all dressed in robes, before her Mum had pulled her away.
She tried to explain to Petunia what she'd seen, but her sister wouldn't believe her. Instead, she crossed her bony arms and told Lily she was mental. But Lily did notice that, on occasion, strange things would happen if she got upset. Not as strange as Petunia claimed, but certainly far from ordinary. Often, her sister's things would vanish—and right about the time that Petunia started bothering Lily about something or another. Other times, she would wish for something hard enough to occur, and it very often did. Once, Lily wished that the door to her and her sister's room would stay shut long enough for her to have some time alone. Just as Petunia tried to enter, the door slammed closed in her face, and wouldn't open for another half an hour even when Lily turned the knob from the inside. This was about that time Petunia started to tell Mum and Dad that Lily was strange—and Lily that she was a freak.
Mum and Dad hadn't believed her, of course. And as for the funny things that occurred whenever Lily would get upset or angry—Dad ignored them as mere coincidence. Or her blamed her heritage: "Red hair, green eyes—it means a blazing temper, that's what. Everything is going to be powerful around those eyes."
Lily would smile at him.
She lowered the knife to the butter, grimacing at Petunia for a moment before fixing up her toast, and returning her thoughts to her long anticipated letter.
From somewhere nearby, there came a tap. Then another.
Mum stopped the dishwashing for a moment to listen, and Dad placed his paper down for a moment, tilting his head to the side as though checking he'd heard right. They both turned to the window, and Petunia, who'd been crouched down in her chair, suddenly screamed.
An owl was hovering just outside the kitchen window, its beak clamped tightly around an aged parchment envelope. It turned its head just a bit to survey the goings on inside the flat, then tapped the window again.
Mum dropped the dish she was holding and Petunia nearly fell over backwards as she attempted to move as far from the window as possible. Dad started, rose, then moved slowly over to the window. When it became obvious that the owl wanted the window open, he carefully turned the latch, and began to move the pane.
The owl waited for the window to open just a crack, and with a neat twist of its head, shot the letter inside the kitchen as cleanly as if it were a letter box. With a seemingly satisfied hoot, it flew away.
Dad picked the letter up from the floor, his eyes widening as he read the address. He glanced up at Lily, who was still frozen in surprise in her seat at the table. He extended it towards her.
"Lily, it's addressed to you."
Lily gulped and took the letter from him. In neat, green writing was written:
Lily Evans
Breakfast table
Flat 12
Austen Park
Essex
The envelope was sealed with a strange red wax, upon which the letter "H" was stamped. Below the stamp was a beautiful embossed heraldry with a lion, a snake, a bird, and a badger.
She turned the envelope over and over in her hands, almost disbelieving it was real. Could it be from Lanville hall? Did they use a strange form of address system?
"Well, go on, open it!" cried Mum.
With a hesitant hand Lily broke through the seal and pulled out a few sheets of parchment paper. On the topmost leaf, written in the same neat writing as the envelope, was an acceptance note, which she read aloud:
Dear Miss Evans:
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
The letter was signed: Minerva McGonagall.
Also in the envelope was a strange list of school items, including a pewter cauldron (standard size 2), work robes (plain black) and dragon hide gloves (real dragon hide).
"Owl?" asked Mum.
"Is this some kind of joke?" cried Petunia, snatching the letter from Lily's hand.
"Give it back!" Lily shouted.
"Enough!" said Dad, taking the letters from Petunia's grasp. He surveyed them for a moment, then turned to the final letter of the parcel.
"This is no joke," he said finally. "Listen."
Dear Miss Evans:
Congratulations on your acceptance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As is customary for non-wizarding families, the Ministry of Magic would like to present an introduction to you and your relations about your admission into the wonderful world of magic, enchantment and wizarding skills.
You are scheduled for a conference Monday the 22nd of July at 10:00 am. During that time you should remain in your flat and await an apparating or flooing member of the Ministry of Magic Board of Muggle Hospitality, who will explain a bit more about your new privileges and benefits as a family in the wizarding community.
Should you be unable to attend this conference, a make-up conference can be scheduled by owl or by telleyphone at the following number:
1-800-wizards
If calling by telleyphone, please expect technical difficulties as most of our operating respondents are unfamiliar with this system.
As a matter of course, the Board of Hospitality, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and the Ministry of Magic request that you do not disclose anything about Hogwarts, this letter, or the wizarding world to any of your non-wizarding acquaintances. Severe repercussions will occur if this rule is violated (International Muggle Cooperation Act, Art 1, ch 7, sec ii).
We are delighted that you could join us, and look forward to speaking with you.
Sincerely,
Markus Macray, Board of Muggle Hospitality Supervisor Department of Magical Law Enforcement Ministry of Magic
"This is absolutely the largest, most obnoxious joke anyone could play on us!" Petunia shouted. "The Board of Muggle Hospitality? The Ministry of Magic? Do they believe that we are fools? Did you put her up to this, Dad? Did you decide to play a bit of a funny on us all?"
Dad looked grave. "This is no joke, Petunia, unless we are all being played for fools. I have never heard of the Ministry of Magic, or a muggle, but July the 22nd is today."
"You have work dear, don't you?" asked Mum shakily. "I do not want to be here if you're not going to be here. Get dressed girls, we're going out."
Lily frowned as Petunia bolted for the door.
"WAIT!" cried Dad. "We're not going anywhere. We're going to wait and have this sorted out."
"DAD!"
"But dear, your work..."
"Can wait, my dear. I'll phone and say we have a family emergency. We'll see what the pranksters are about today." He turned to Lily. "Don't worry, darling. We'll have this thing sorted out in a bit."
Lily nodded, a bit overwhelmed, and, despite her better judgment, a bit excited as well.
At ten o'clock, the Evans family gathered around the door, silent and rather anxious. At 10:02, Petunia was pacing back and forth down the hall; at 10:05 she was seated in front of the fireplace, sneering at Lily.
"I told you this was just a prank."
Lily frowned at her, slightly disappointed, and terribly confused. Who would have gone through such an elaborate set-up simply to make it a hoax?
"Magical Ministry...who would ever have..."
Petunia screamed as a great blaze of green fire burst from the fireplace, knocking her backward in the armchair. Lily leapt behind her father, who stood in the doorway, eyes wide, as a young, gangly, blonde- haired man entered their living room, coughing and waving his arms to dissipate the glittering green smoke.
"S-Sorry about that...used too much. Haven't utilized the Floo system in a few months, you know!"
Dad squared his shoulders. "And who...who are you, sir?"
The newcomer looked up, and coughed. "S-So...S-sorry. I'm A-ba- r..." He doubled over, still coughing.
"Would you like something to drink, sir?" asked Mum, sliding cautiously towards the kitchen.
"N-no...'s okay..." the young man spluttered, reaching inside his robes and pulling out a beautifully carved stick of wood. A Wand, thought Lily, as he waved it around and muttered something under his breath.
In a flash, the smoke was gone.
Petunia whimpered something about lunatics from behind the fallen armchair and covered her head.
"Now then, let's see. I'm Abler Goodwin, your representative from the Muggle Hospitality Off...I say, a clock!" He moved over towards the mantle time piece, staring at it as though he'd never seen one before. "It has numbers on it! Its been a while since I've seen one of these!"
Mum stared at him as though he'd lost his mind.
But Dad appeared amused, and moved towards the young man. "Er...sir? You say you're with the..."
Mr. Goodwin was still observing the clock, poking at the numbers with the point of his wand. "I'd forgotten about these. Fascinating..."
"Mr. Goodwin?"
The blond haired man jumped. "Oh...OH! I'm terribly sorry. I've been a part of the wizarding world for so long, I've forgotten that muggles get along just fine without our devices."
"Devices?" asked Mum.
"Magical devices," replied Mr. Goodwin, brandishing his wand again.
Petunia whimpered something that sounded like "madhouse" and buried her head in the wool afghan.
"Magic?" Lily moved towards Mr. Goodwin, eyeing his beautiful wand with delight. "Real Magic? Like spells and potions and such?"
Mr. Goodwin's smile grew broad. "You must be Miss Evans. Yes, we practice all of those, and much, much more, if I do say so myself. There is an entire world outside of this one...a world where wizards and witches study, work, and live...right alongside muggles."
"Muggles? What are muggles?"
Mr. Goodwin scratched his head. "Well, let's see...a muggle is a person–a human being, I suppose–who has absolutely no ability to do magic whatsoever. Like your parents, for instance. Full-blood, non-magical muggle."
Mum pursed her lips at this. "Well, then, and what about Lily?"
Mr. Goodwin winked. "Miss Evans...well, young Miss Evans is not a full-blood, non-magical muggle. In fact, she's not a muggle at all. She's a witch."
"I'm a what?"
"I knew it!" shrieked Petunia, leaping from beneath her woolen fort. "I knew there was something wrong with her! She is a witch! A...a...freak!"
"Well, I say, that's not very kind," frowned Mr. Goodwin, as Lily's face paled. "In fact, Miss Evans is far from being...well...a freak of any kind. She's just a witch. There are thousands of them running around all over England. All over the world, in fact. There is nothing extraordinary about any of them, other than that they can use magic."
Her sister gulped. "Thousands? Do...do they put curses on you and turn you into toads and such?"
Mr. Goodwin let out a great laugh. "The things Muggles believe! No! Witches are not as they have been told in storybooks...well, occasionally there will be a bad egg in the mix, but isn't that to be expected among all types of people? We've never had an evil wizard or witch that went about slaughtering muggles or wizards. Could you imagine? It would cause mass panic. We'd actually have to let on to muggles that we exist. But if we ever did have such a person, what we'd call a "dark wizard"–and there have been a few minor ones in the past–we'd lock them soundly away in Azkaban."
"Azkaban?" chattered Petunia.
"Azkaban prison, of course, where all bad wizards go. Horrid place," he shivered. "There aren't many tenants there now. Even the name is enough to deter wizards from using their magic for dark purposes."
Dad glanced from Abler's freckled face to Petunia's blanched one. "Why has no one spoken of this "wizarding world" before anyhow? Why don't moogles know about it?"
"Muggles." Abler corrected cheerfully, and shrugged. "I think its because that would generate a mass panic. All the muggles in the world, finding out there is magic that actually works? They wouldn't know what to do. Some would probably try and find a way to hurt or exile wizards, others would want to manipulate the power for dangerous purposes. Long ago, both the heads of the wizarding world and the muggle world decided it would be better for the wizarding world to remain hidden."
"Do the heads know now? Are the Muggles aware..."
"Oh yes. The Minister of Magic has a weekly meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss current events and occurrences. They are quite good friends, actually."
"Fascinating" said Dad. "Absolutely."
"Isn't it, though? But now," Abler began to dig around in his robes, "you know about the situation, we should get onto business. I will need you to sign..." he produced a long, wrinkled piece of parchment from somewhere inside a pocket, "...this."
Dad unfurled the tattered document.
Vow of Muggle Silence regarding Wizarding Affairs
I, the undersigned, do hereby understand and accept all terms, conditions, rules and regulations regarding revelations of the wizarding world and its for to be disclosed anomalies, irregularities, and addendums. I forthwith promise that:
I. Under no circumstance shall I ask assistance of any wizard of my acquaintance for aid in Muggle affairs, including, but not limited to, health, wealth, happiness, criminal undertakings, transportation, beauty, history, sightseeing, pharmalogical concerns or weaponry;
II. Under no circumstance shall I reveal any information regarding the existence of wizards, witches, the wizarding world, wizarding tools, animals, or objects; wizarding locations, or wizarding habits, customs, holidays, or practices to non-wizard certified muggles;
III. Under no circumstance shall I attempt to utilize any ideas, objects, creatures, or magical elements associated with or procured from the wizarding world, wizards, or witches without the proper assistance and approval of a certified wizard or witch;
IV. I further understand that any attempt to utilize or reveal anything regarding the wizarding world could result in severe punishment by both wizarding and/or Muggle authorities, the severity of which could include but is not limited to...
a. Incarceration in Azkaban or a similar Muggle prison
b. Severe limitations on knowledge regarding wizarding
affairs
c. significant fines
d. Possible transfiguration and/or potion induced
alternate states
e. exile from the wizarding world
V. Terms and conditions
a. For the purposes of this contract, a "certified wizard
or witch" is a wizard/witch who has received full accreditation
from a certified wizarding academy and has been officially
acknowledged as trained and capable in wizarding affairs.
b. Objects considered covered under this provision
include, but are not limited to...
1. All fantastic beasts and creatures research and
listed in accredited wizarding volumes, including
mythological beasts and previously discovered beasts.
A. Reported "sightings" of aforesaid magical
creatures are covered under the vow of Muggle silence
and do not sever the contract.
2. All wizarding potions and spells hereby created
or not yet created.
A. This does not include spells created for
fantastic storytelling if there is no legitimate
basis for the spell; all inquires should be made to
the Muggle Affairs office Legitimate Spell Division.
3. Wizarding dress, cultural habits, hobbies and
practices–for further information please see Addendum A.
4. Any other magical object, creature, person,
practice or event not described under these terms and
conditions. For additional information please see Addendum
B.
Fully understanding and appreciating the vow I hereby make, I, the undersigned, do acknowledge the VOW OF MUGGLE SILENCE and do hereby accept all terms and conditions that apply, declaring my acquiescence with said terms and conditions by applying my signature to the following lines.
Undersigned Witnessed _____________ _____________
on this, the ___ day of ____, Muggle year ___; wizarding date ______
Great Seal of the Ministry of Magic
"Here you are," said Abler kindly, handing Dad a feather.
"Wait just one moment...what are we agreeing to here? What is a 'Vow of Muggle silence?' And what are Addendums A and B?"
"Standard Contract," replied Abler. "A Vow of Muggle silence is necessary to make sure that no newly-inducted wizards, witches or their families go about telling the muggle world about their powers. Most families are fairly good about this, considering the circumstances, but do have a few jabbers every year, and it causes quite a fuss, makes wizards go into overtime, causes an overuse of Memory Charms–that sort of nonsense."
He pulled out his wand, and muttered "aparecio."
Two large volumes appeared in mid-air before him. "Here. Addendums A and B."
Lily reached for one of the heavy books. "Dementor...Dugbog...Flibbertigibbet...Ghosts...Gillyweed....are all of these things I can't talk about? Ever?"
"With your family, of course you may. And your other wizarding friends. Just not the general muggle world, or your old muggle friends. Its quite easy, once you get around to it. Things in the wizarding world are not the same as things in the Muggle world. It will be no different from what you experienced before you came into it, except that you will better understand what those things are, and be able to make the distinction between your place in the muggle world and your place in the wizarding world. Trust me," he smiled. "My parents and I had to sign one as well, and we never had a problem."
"But...there's so much here...how are we supposed to know what not to talk about?
"Well, young witches are not allowed to use magic away from the magical academies anyhow, so you won't need to worry for a while. The rest is so strange and new that it is not something that would come up in normal muggle conversation. Actually, the greatest problem is usually that first initial rush of excitement. You know, the desire to run about and tell your friends and neighbors that you're going to learn to use a wand and fly and such. Last time we had one family tell almost half of Cheapside. Took about fifteen of us and a number of rather unpleasant Memory Charms to fix it."
Lily almost dropped the book. "Fly?"
Petunia gulped. "Unpleasant Memory...?"
"Fascinating," her father breathed, his eyes sparkling.
"There is a spell," said Abler uncertainly, brandishing his wand once more, "that can be used to prevent slips of the tongue. It's often used for a temporary time, until the shock has passed." He eyed Petunia as he spoke.
Dad shook his head. "I don't think that will be necessary." He reached for the feather, eyed it for a moment, then put the point to the paper and signed his name with a scratchy flourish.
Abler produced three more contracts. "I can make as many of these as you wish, for whomever in your immediate family you wish to certify as a "wizard-certified muggle." I'll conference with you in about a week to determine who you believe capable of learning of the wizarding world. In the meantime," he produced another letter, and a diagram, "we must show Miss Evans where her tools for school and how transportation to Hogwarts will be handled. I'm afraid that most of this takes place in London, but it shouldn't be too difficult, once you've learned a bit about the landmarks. Let me give you a little information about what to expect with regards to the wizards you shall meet. I warn you, sometimes it can be quite a shock."
Lily smiled and nodded as he handed her the map, glancing at the young wizard's attire excitedly. "I think I'm quite ready."