Chapter One
"In the Beginning"
Life at the Evans’ was more hectic than usual for those initial five minutes that July morning.
David Evans came roaring down the stairs, shouting instructions to his wife.
"Quick – phone them immediately. Tell them there’s an intruder in the house." Mr. Evans stopped at the bottom of the stairs and took a deep breath. He peered around the edge of the staircase into the living room. He surveyed the damage – the broken table and curtain rod lying in the debris.
Mr. Evans slowly stepped into the living room, continuing to peer around the corner as he took each step. Finally he was completely immersed in the room. His heart was beating faster than it ever had before, and he quickly walked over to the fireplace and picked up the poker. He felt safer with it in his hands.
"David," came the call at the top of the stairs. "What’s going on?"
"Just stay up there, and call the police."
"I did," came the response. "They’ll be arriving shortly. Oh, David, be careful." Then, "No, Lily, stay in your room."
"Dad?" came a much younger female voice. "What’s wrong?"
"I don’t know, Lily," Mr. Evans answered. "Just wait a – AAAAAAGGHHHH!!"
The brown owl had made its return. It swooped over Mr. Evans’ head and circled the living room a few times.
"DAVID? DAVID?!" came the frantic cries from up stairs. "Oh God, David, what’s going on?"
This was all too much for Lily Evans to bear. She burst out of her bedroom and ran toward the staircase. Her mother grabbed her when she got there and tried to hold her back.
"No, Lily! Don’t."
"I have to," she frantically cried. "Dad? Dad! Mom, let me go!"
But her mother held strong. She didn’t know what was going on downstairs, but she certainly wasn’t about to let her daughter get embroiled in it. She held on to Lily with all her might. One girl she could hold back, but at that moment, her elder daughter came running out of her room as well, making a mad dash for the stairs.
"Petunia, stop!" she cried, but it was in vain. Petunia came crashing into the both them, breaking her grip on Lily. Lily whipped around and fell to the ground. She quickly assessed the situation and stood up, following her sister down the stairs.
"Dad?" Petunia and Lily screamed at the same time.
Petunia didn’t wait to make it down the entire flight of stairs. As soon as she was close enough to the bottom, she jumped. Lily followed suit and crashed into her, sending both of them to the floor.
"Get off, Lily," an angry Petunia snarled, pushing her younger sister away from her. She stood up and bravely walked slowly to the edge of the living room. She felt her sister come behind her and grab onto the back of her nightgown. Petunia sighed but did not push her off. "Dad?" she asked, in a voice barely above a whisper.
Petunia rounded the corner first and gasped at what she saw. Lily, upon hearing her sister’s shocked reaction, came out from behind Petunia and gasped as well.
David Evans was standing in the middle of the living room, poker still clutched in two hands, staring at a large brown owl perched atop the fireplace. The owl was staring back at David Evans. Clutched in its claws was a single white envelope, handwritten with words Lily couldn’t quite make out from the distance she was standing.
As if on cue, when Lily entered the room, the owl left the fireplace and landed on the settee near where Lily was standing. Petunia gasped again and ran over to her father. David Evans started toward Lily and the owl. "Don’t touch it," he warned his daughter.
But Lily wasn’t afraid. A calm sort of peace had rushed over her, as she looked into the owl’s eyes and gave a warm smile.
"It’s alright Dad," she said. She didn’t once take her eyes off the owl. Her father stopped in his tracks, a feeling of calm waving over him as well. He looked at his youngest daughter and the owl and wasn’t sure what to think. But he did know he wasn’t afraid.
Just then, Rose Evans entered the room. As the previous enterers had done, she gasped at the sight of the owl. "Lily, don’t touch it!" she shouted.
"It’s okay Mom, really," Lily said. It was at that moment that she noticed the envelope the bird was clutching.
"It’s addressed to me," she said aloud.
The owl moved along the settee until it was at the edge closest to Lily. Lily took this as her cue to take the envelope. As soon as she had done so, the owl lunged forward and flew out the window, just as it had come in. Lily rushed to the window and watched the magnificent creature fly away.
"Did you see that?" she exclaimed.
"Lily, give me the envelope," her father said.
"But it’s addressed to me," Lily protested, clutching the envelope to her chest.
Her father walked over to her and looked down at his daughter, giving her a very stern look that she had seen before. It was not her favorite look.
"I said give it to me," he repeated.
Slowly, Lily sighed and held the envelope out. David Evans took it and turned it over to read the writing on the front.
"Miss Lily Evans, 15 Devin Lane, Little Hollow, Surrey," he read aloud. He then turned the envelope over again and opened the back. Lily held her breath.
David Evans took out two pieces of paper, the oddest paper Lily had ever seen. It looked very old and had a yellowish tint.
"Parchment," David Evans exclaimed. "Who in the world writes letters on parchment?"
"Read it, Dad," Lily said. "Please."
David Evans took in a deep breath and looked at his daughter, standing in front of him with such anticipation and yearning in her eyes. He let out the breath and looked down at the top letter.
"Dear Miss Evans," he read aloud, "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.
"What is this nonsense? School of what?"
But Lily’s eyes had gotten as big as saucers. "Witchcraft and wizardry," she exclaimed.
"There’s more of this rubbish," David Evans continued. "In a few short moments, a Muggle Representative from the Ministry of Magic shall be present at your doorstep to answer any questions that you have and to give you further instructions. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmistress.
"Ministry of Magic?" he asked.
"What in the world is a Muggle Representative?" Rose Evans asked.
"What in the world is a Muggle?" David Evans responded.
At that moment, a knock came from the door. Without hesitation, Lily whipped around and bounded for the door. Before her parents could get out their "No’s" and their "Stops," Lily had opened the door. She was greeted by a peculiar looking man, tall and thin and wearing a long black cloak. He smiled as she opened the door. "Lily Evans?" he asked.
"Yes," she answered.
"Gregory Tannenbaum," he said and extended his hand, which Lily took and gave a handshake. "Might I come in?" he asked.
"Sure," Lily said and opened the door wider.
"Uh, no," David Evans said and hurried toward the door. "Look, I don’t know just what it is you’re trying to pull here, but I will not stand for it. Now go."
The man just laughed. "Yes, yes," he said, "I know. I get that response a lot. But it’s better than the folks who try to attack me. All part of the job though."
He opened the door and walked through, making his way to the living room to join the rest of the family. He pulled a long stick out of his cloak pocket, turned around and waived it at the family. "Bonaccia," he muttered.
David, Rose and Petunia Evans were suddenly overcome with a feeling of intense calm, much greater than that which David Evans felt when the owl was next to Lily. The three of them slowly walked into the room and sat down on the high-backed cream velvet couch that was sitting along the far wall.
"Now that that’s out the way, allow me to introduce myself," the stranger said as he put the strange stick back in the cloak pocket, took off the cloak and draped it across the settee.
He outstretched his arms and grinned from ear to ear. "As I was just telling Lily, my name is Gregory Tannenbaum, and I am a Muggle Representative from the Ministry of Magic. Now, I know what you’re thinking. ‘Mr. Tannenbaum’, you’re thinking, ‘there is no such thing as the Ministry of Magic. Sure, there’s a Ministry of Defense and a Ministry of Labor. But, a Ministry of Magic, oh no sir, you are mistaken.’
"But, never fear, you heard me correctly. Ministry of Magic. You see, not too many have heard of us. Certainly not many Muggles. And you kind folks are Muggles – now that’s just another word for folks who don’t have a drop of magical blood in their bodies, sorry to say.
"But Lily, here, oh sweet Lily," Mr. Tannenbaum said as he danced over to Lily and picked up her hands with his and started waltzing her around the room, "Lily is one of those rare children born of Muggle parents but with the ability for magical greatness.
"And that is why she has been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the finest school of its sort in Britain. The world, I’d say. So, this September, your dear Lily will be off to learn spells and charms, potions and defenses. All at the greatest school of its kind. Now, who has questions?"
The three Muggle Evanses were sitting bewildered on the couch, mouths agape, not able to speak. Or think for that matter. Mr. Tannenbaum’s spell had apparently worked.
"Is this for real?" Lily asked.
"Absolutely," replied Mr. Tannenbaum. "All I need is for your parents to sign a few forms."
Lily skipped over to the couch and grabbed her father by the hand. "Dad," she asked, "isn’t this the most wonderful thing ever?"
"Now just hold on a minute, Lily," David Evans said as he stood up, regaining his composure. "I understand that is all very exciting and new, but I’m still not sure about this. In fact, I can tell you I’m definitely not sure about this. It all seems to be a bit of a hoax.
"No offense to you, sir," he added as he turned to face Mr. Tannenbaum.
"Oh, none taken," Mr. Tannenbaum replied. "I get that a lot with the job too. But first, sir, please, do one thing for me."
"What’s that?" David Evans asked gruffly.
"Come with me into London."
"I’ve been to London before, thank you."
"No, no, you haven’t. You haven’t been to where I will take you. There is an entire area of London devoted to the magical arts. Stores and services and the like. Wonderful places you could not possibly have visited. I guarantee that if you grant me this one favor, you will see that what I speak of is the truth."
"Oh, Dad, please can we go?" Lily begged, grabbing both of her fathers hands. "Please?"
"Now, Lily," David Evans began as he pulled away, "I already told you my answer."
"But …" Lily began.
"I think we should go." Rose Evans sprang from the couch. "We can’t really know what we’re dealing with until we go, after all. And we don’t want to regret not going."
"Rose," David Evans said, a hint of irritation beginning to form in his voice, "I already said we are not going."
"David," Rose Evans replied, "you do not have the final say in this situation. Now, Lily and I are going. You may either come or you may stay here with Petunia."
"Wait a minute!" Petunia cried as she too jumped up off the couch. "Why can’t I come?"
"Because we don’t know where we’re going, and I don’t want to endanger you," Rose Evans calmly explained.
"But Lily gets to go!" Petunia spat.
"Yes, but Lily was the one who received the letter," Rose Evans replied. "Lily has to go."
"Now, just wait a minute," David Evans said as he stepped in between a furious Petunia and a determined Rose. He looked at his wife. He looked deep into her eyes and knew at once that she was serious. He felt his mood lighten.
"Alright," he said as he turned to face his youngest daughter. "Lily, we’ll go tomorrow."