Lily Potter and the Heir of the Phoenix

Chapter 1: Anticipation

A/N: I've decided to write a Harry Potter story because I'm such a huge fan of the series. This story will take place during Lily's (Harry's daughter) first year at Hogwarts. This is my first Harry Potter fic, so I'm asking you to be as kind as you can be when leaving a review. I hope that you enjoy this fic.

Summary: Lily Potter's first year at Hogwarts is full of new friends, new enemies, and a secret about the legendary Heir of the Phoenix.

Disclaimer: Any characters you recognize from the Harry Potter series are property of J.K. Rowling. I own the original characters that are used in this story.

It was a sunny day in Godric's Hollow. Birds were singing, and the leaves were changing color in the trees. A girl was peering out the window and scanning the skies. Anyone passing by would just think she was daydreaming or looking out the window to pass the time. However, Lily Potter was waiting for a letter from Hogwarts.

Ginny Potter came into the kitchen and saw her daughter looking out the window. She had been doing this since her birthday, hoping the letter would come soon. Ginny remembered how she had longed to go to Hogwarts and how eager she had been to receive her letter.

"Lily, come outside for a spell," Ginny urged her. "Some fresh air will do you some good."

"I can't," Lily replied. "I have to wait until it comes."

"Sweetheart, you've been waiting for days," Ginny pointed out. "You need to take a break. A watched sky doesn't bring owls. Perhaps if you occupy yourself with something else, the letter will come."

Lily was about to say something when her brothers and father came in followed by their dog Snuffles. Lily braced herself for the bout of teasing she was going to get from James for looking out the window again. Albus gave her a sympathetic look as though he knew what she was going through. In a way, he did know because acted the same way after James started at Hogwarts.

"We thought we'd find you here," James said. "You'd better give it up, Lil. It's probably been lost."

"Well, if it is, so is yours," Lily retorted. "That means you'll have to stay home, too."

"C'mon, Lily, let's go play Quidditch," Albus suggested. "It'll get your mind off the letter."

"Yeah, and I'll beat both of you," James added.

"No, you're going to de-gnome the garden," Harry told the boys. "They've been ruining the flowers again."

"We can do that after we play Quidditch," James protested. "It won't take long."

Harry gave his son a stern look. "James Sirius Potter, you will do what I say," he said firmly. "De-gnome the garden and then you can play Quidditch." He turned to Ginny. "Are the twins asleep?" he asked her.

"They should be," Ginny replied. "I know they don't want to take a nap, but they have to, or they'll get cranky."

After Albus went to Hogwarts, Ginny gave birth to fraternal twins named Ariana Lily Potter and Sirius Harry Potter. When they were born, Harry couldn't believe how his family had grown from three kids to five. Now, at two years old, the twins were as mischievous as their big brother James had been when he was that age.

Just at that moment, the twins came into the room, wondering what was going on. Lily smiled as she looked at her little brother and sister. Ariana had red hair and green eyes just like their grandmother Lily while Sirius had black hair and brown eyes. Sirius was just as much of a troublemaker as his namesake, always poking into things. Ariana usually copied him because she figured that she had to do so since she was his twin.

"Aren't you two supposed to be napping?" Harry asked them.

"No nap!" Sirius replied. "No s'eep."

"All right, you don't have to sleep," Ginny said. "I suppose you've slept long enough. I think it's time for lunch."

"Good idea," Harry said. "It'll be better than the rubbish food I have at the office. That reminds me that I've got the night shift tonight, so I don't know when I'll be back. I promised to cover Lawson since his wife's ill."

"That's fine, Harry," Ginny told him. "Lily, take Sirius and Ariana outside and keep an eye on them. Boys, you go out and de-gnome that garden and no stalling."

'Yes, Mum," the children said. Lily took Sirius and Ariana to the makeshift playground Harry had built for them and started pushing them on the swings while James and Albus set to work de-gnoming the garden, much to James's disgust.

"I hate this," he complained. "I don't see why we have to do this. They're just going to come back and do it again."

Albus nodded and picked up three gnomes. He spun them around to make them dizzy and hurled them over the fence. James smiled and picked up five gnomes at once and disposed of them, giving his brother a challenging look. Al took up the challenge and picked up six gnomes. This turned into a contest to see who could throw the most gnomes over the fence. James won by a narrow margin, but Albus assured him that he'd beat his brother the next time.

James looked over at Lily, who was telling the twins a story. Smiling mischievously, he walked over to where she was sitting. Albus, sensing what James was up to, decided to come along in case James made Lily upset. Albus was very protective of his sister and had vowed that he would make sure no one messed with her at Hogwarts.

"So, Lily, have you thought about what House you might be in?" asked James in his most innocent tone of voice.

Lily looked up at her older brother. "No, I haven't," she said.

"Does it matter to you?" continued James.

"No, it doesn't," replied Lily. "I feel that it shouldn't matter what House I'm in. You're in Gryffindor while Al's in Slytherin, and you've done well in those Houses. I feel I'll do and well no matter which House I'm in. I don't want to be defined by idiotic stereotypes, such as being called evil if I'm in Slytherin, or being called slow if I'm in Hufflepuff. I want to be defined for who I am as a person, not for what I should be because I'm in a certain House." Her eyes were filled with determination, and James couldn't think of anything else to say to her.

Albus was proud of his sister for saying what she did. He had been afraid that he'd be put in Slytherin after hearing that Dark witches and wizards were in that House. His father had reassured him that not all Slytherins were Dark wizards and that the Sorting Hat took choices into consideration. Albus had then decided that since he was named for a brave man who had been head of Slytherin House, it didn't matter where he ended up. As it turned out, the Sorting Hat put him in Slytherin, and he had changed the image of that House to the amazement of others. There were still some Slytherins who were mean, but Al wouldn't give in to their pressure to bully other students and had even rescued students from said bullying.

"Children, come inside!" called Ginny. "The owls have arrived!"

Lily jumped up and ran into the house, eager to see her letter. James and Albus followed her with Albus leading the twins inside. Lily snatched up the letter that was addressed to her and opened it. "It's finally here," she said. "It's like a dream come true."

James and Albus took their letters and opened them to peruse the contents of them. It looked as though each of the letters contained the same things until James saw something fall out of his. He bent down to pick it up, but Sirius had snatched it and began chewing on it. James pried it out of his brother's hands, causing Sirius to howl until Ginny gave her youngest son a piece of cheese to nibble on. James wiped the object on a towel before examining it. The object was a badge with the Gryffindor lion and the letter P on it.

"What did you get, James?" inquired Ginny.

"It's some sort of badge," replied James. He had never paid attention to what the prefects wore and had no idea that's what the badge meant.

"You've been made a prefect," said Albus with pride in his voice.

James shook his head. "That can't be," he said. "There's no way anyone would make me prefect. I've been causing too much trouble. Obviously, someone's playing a prank on me."

'Well, I see you've got your Hogwarts letters," said Harry as he came back into the kitchen.

"James is a prefect," announced Lily.

"Congratulations," said Harry. "We'll have to get you something special for that. Is there anything you want?"

"Not really," James replied. "I've already got an owl and a broomstick."

"Well, we'll think of something," Ginny told him. "I'm sure Rose and Hugo also got their letters. I'm sure Ron will send us an owl so we can meet with them."

Just as she said this, Pigwidgeon came through the window carrying a letter for Harry. Harry took the letter from Pig and opened it to see what was in it.

Dear Harry,

The kids got their letters from Hogwarts. I was wondering if you wanted to meet at the Leaky Cauldron so we can go to Diagon Alley to pick up their things. I've already gotten clearance from work so that I can be off, and I'm sure you can get clearance tonight when you go in. Send me an answer as soon as you can so I know what you're doing.

Bye,

Ron

"Well, I guess I'll have to ask Kingsley for the day off tomorrow if I'm not doing the night shift again," Harry said.

"Harry, I'm sure Kingsley will be reasonable," Ginny reassured him. "The only time you've asked for time off is when James and Al were starting at Hogwarts to pick up their things and to see them onto the train. Other than that, you've been to work every day."

"That's true," Harry agreed. Kingsley Shacklebolt was a better Minister of Magic than Cornelius Fudge and Rufus Scrimgeour had ever been. He was a lot fairer and always treated his employees with respect, never using intimidation to make them submit as the other two had done. He was also trying to make laws against discrimination of werewolves and house elves with some help from Hermione Weasley.

Lily heard none of this conversation as she read her letter over and over again. She still couldn't believe it was going to happen. She remembered James's descriptions of the Hogwarts grounds and Al's stories about visiting Hagrid's hut. She had also heard about the different classes she'd have to take and how hard or easy they'd be for her from her cousin Rose. Her father had told her how he loathed Potions because of Professor Snape and how Snape had not been kind to him. Then his feelings for Snape had changed once he learned of his love for Harry's mother and how Snape had been protecting Harry all along.

After lunch was over, Harry inspected the garden to make sure no gnomes were visible. Satisfied with the boys' work, he decided to play Quidditch with them since he didn't have to go to work until five. Ginny joined them while Lily and the twins watched with Snuffles laying beside Lily. Once the game was over, Harry and Ginny talked about their own days at Hogwarts and how they felt when they heard they'd be going there.

"I was so excited about going," Ginny told them. "Ever since your Uncle Bill went to Hogwarts, I had always longed to go. I was so jealous every time one of my brothers left to go to school. When my turn came, I could hardly believe it was true. Of course, I was also nervous about your father being there, too."

"Why?" asked Lily. "Didn't you like Dad?"

"Yes, but I didn't think he liked me," replied Ginny. "I was always so nervous around him and couldn't talk to him at all. Then your Aunt Hermione urged me to keep on trying and to loosen up. So, I did, and then I found out I loved him."

"Can we please change the subject?" begged James, wrinkling his nose.

"What's the matter, James?" teased Lily. "Scared of love?"

"No, but I don't want to hear about it," answered James. "It's so gross."

"That's funny because I heard rumors you were seen snogging Ellie Perkins," Albus said with a sly smile.

"That's a lie!" James shouted. "I never touched her lips. I was just helping her with her homework."

"Sure you were," Lily laughed.

"That's enough," Harry admonished. "Al, Lily, don't tease your brother."

"Sorry, Dad," Lily and Albus said meekly. But after their father had looked away, both of them exchanged conspiratorial looks as though they knew something their parents didn't.

That night, Lily lay in bed and thought about the things she would get in Diagon Alley the next day. Her father was able to go with them since he'd be working the night shift that day. Maybe he would help her pick out her supplies and her owl. She was also very excited about getting a wand, something she'd been longing for since James got his. Lily had a feeling things were going to be interesting when she started school. After all, nothing was ordinary in the Wizarding World because every day was full of surprises. Little did Lily know that her first year of school was going to be full of adventure.

A/N: So, that's the first chapter. I hope it wasn't bad. Feel free to leave a review once you've read it. Thanks.