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LILY ANNETTE POTTER
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EMMA STONE. 19. ORDER. MUGGLEBORN</div><br><br>
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They say that seven is the most powerful magical number. Or so, at least, Tom Riddle believed when he chose to make himself seven Horcruxes. In more mundane examples, every Quidditch team has seven players, and Hogwarts students spend seven years pursuing their magical educations. Our very lives are ordered around the number seven, as we organize them into an endless series of seven-day weeks. In homage to this illustrious number and all of the mystique surrounding it, I present to you a character sketch of Lily Potter in series of seven sevens. <br><br><br><br>
<div style="width: 350px; color: #000000; text-align: center; font-family: 'Give You Glory', cursive; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18px;">Excerpted From her Employee Dossier</div><br><br>
<b>MARITAL STATUS:</b> Married to James Potter on October 27, 1978<br><br>
<b>CURRENT RESIDENCE:</b> No. 7 Waverton Place, London, England<br><br>
<b>WAND:</b> willow, core of hair from a kelpie's mane, 10 1/4" and swishy; purchased from Ollivander's on the 30th of August, 1971<br><br>
<b>FAMILY BACKGROUND:</b> Miss Evans comes from a middle-class Muggle family in Nottingham, England. Her mother, Betsy (40), is a bank secretary. Her father, Nathaniel (41), is a factory manager. Her only sibling, Petunia (20), possesses no magical talent and is currently working as a shop clerk in a women's clothing boutique in downtown Nottingham.<br>
<b>EDUCATIONAL HISTORY:</b><br><br>
<u><i>Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, 1971 - 1978</u></i><br>
<i><b>Honors:</b></i> Gryffindor Prefect, 1975 - 1977; Head Girl, 1977 - 1978<br>
<i><b>O.W.L.s Achieved:</b></i><br>
Astronomy - O<br>
Charms - O<br>
Defense Against the Dark Arts - O<br>
Herbology - O<br>
History of Magic - O<br>
Potions - O<br>
Transfiguration - E<br>
Arithmancy - E<br>
<i><b>N.E.W.T.s Achieved:</b></i><br>
Charms - O<br>
Defense Against the Dark Arts - O<br>
Herbology - O<br>
Potions - O<br>
Transfiguration - O<br><br>
<b>EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:</b> apprenticed to Head Healer Natalie Vincent in the Spell Damage Ward; currently working part-time while completing her training program<br><br>
<b>CRIMINAL HISTORY:</b> none whatsoever. Mrs. Potter appears to be a model citizen.<br><br><br><br>
<div style="width: 350px; color: #000000; text-align: center; font-family: 'Give You Glory', cursive; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18px;">When She Looks in a Mirror, She Sees...</div><br><br>
<b>* Ginger hair.</b> Lily's hair is a dark, vibrant red and naturally wavy. Per the fashion of the era, she has grown it long, and it falls to her mid-back. When she was younger, Lily always wished she had a more "normal" hair color, but now that she is older, she has grown to love it. Her hair is usually worn down, unless she wants it out of her way, in which case she braids it or pulls it back in a ponytail. Occasionally, she will straighten it, but this is such a hassle that she usually just wears it wavy.<br>
<b>* Almond-shaped eyes.</b> You'd think the most noticeable part of her eyes would be their vivid, jade green color, but it's really their shape that is most arresting. Normally, her eyes are bright and sparkling, as Lily is by nature a happy person. However, when she is angry, they narrow and begin to glimmer with fury.<br>
<b>* Pale skin.</b> Like all redheads, Lily cannot get a tan to save her life. Worse, every summer, she gains a smattering of light freckles across the bridge of her nose.<br>
<b>* Lack of height.</b> When she first enrolled at Hogwarts, Lily was one of the taller girls in her year. Somewhere around fourth year, however, she simply stopped growing at the amazing height of 162 cm (5'4").<br>
<b>* A regrettable lack of buxomness.</b> She's petite in every sense of the word. The most Lily has ever managed is a B-cup, and, while she does have curves, no one would ever call them va-va-voom! Instead, her figure is willowy.<br>
<b>* Tiny feet.</b> Part of the whole being-short thing. She only wears a size six shoe.<br>
<b>* Tidiness.</b> She isn't a neat freak by any sense of the word, but Lily likes to leave her home in the morning looking put-together. Meaning her hair is brushed (as are her teeth) and her robes are unwrinkled.<br><br><br><br>
<div style="width: 350px; color: #000000; text-align: center; font-family: 'Give You Glory', cursive; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18px;">Seven Things Lily Can't Live Without</div><br><br>
<b>* Raspberries.</b> They are the most delicious food on the face of the planet, and she has always loved to eat them. Raw, in a sauce, in crumble, in a cookie, as filling for a chocolate, it doesn't matter what form the berry takes. If the food has raspberries in it, she'll eat it. This, of course, is why raspberry chocoballs are her absolute favorite candy.<br>
<b>* Music.</b> It's woven into the fabric of her life. She danced to it as a little girl, when her most cherished dream was to become a prima ballerina. Nowadays she still dances to it, albeit to more modern tunes.<br>
<b>* Water.</b> In any shape or form. Her favorite place to vacation is somewhere near the coastline, where she can romp in the ocean waves during the day and fall asleep to their soothing murmur every night. At Hogwarts, Lily was wont to take walks along the shoreline of the Hogwarts Lake whenever the weather and her homework load permitted.<br>
<b>* Strong tea.</b> She's really not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination and can't properly function in the morning without some sort of caffeine boost to get her started. Even after her morning tea, it usually takes her a good thirty minutes to be fully awake and alert. Of course, in keeping with item #1, Lily's favorite tea to drink at breakfast is Raspberry Quince.<br>
<b>* Books.</b> Lily is one of those people for whom reading is a pleasure. This mostly applies to novels, but she did sometimes enjoy reading her textbooks. One of her favorite methods of relaxation is to curl up in the armchair in her sitting room (at Hogwarts, it was a window seat in the Gryffindor Common Room) and bury her nose in a book while raindrops beat gently against the roof. Or, if it isn't raining, she'll take her book outside into the back garden to enjoy it in the sunshine.<br>
<b>* Her friends.</b> Whether they're out doing something together or they're just sitting around the room, chatting and laughing, Lily absolutely adores time spent in the company of those she loves. She doesn't mind being alone, but she really gets her energy from being with other people. Friends young and old are always welcome at the Potters' flat.<br>
<b>* James.</b> He's the love of her life and her one constant in a world that seems to be falling to pieces everywhere she looks. She trusts him completely and loves him wholeheartedly. He encourages her to dream, to hope and to believe that, if they keep fighting, one day the world will be right again. <br><br><br><br>
<div style="width: 350px; color: #000000; text-align: center; font-family: 'Give You Glory', cursive; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18px;">And Those She Could Definitely Do Without</div><br><br>
<b>* Cruelty.</b> Whether it be to other people, to other magical creatures, or to animals, this trait is the complete antithesis of Lily's character, and she cannot stand to see it manifested in someone else's behavior. This distaste for any form of cruelty is a large part of why she thought so poorly of James back in school. In her eyes, most of he and his friends' pranks were cruel, especially since they seemed to reserve them for those in Slytherin. Bullying, the most common form of cruelty, is something Lily has never tolerated.<br>
<b>* Prejudice.</b> As a woman of high ideals, Lily believes that everyone is worthy of kindess and respect and strives to treat everyone she meets in this way. She finds prejudice, especially the form it has taken in the wizarding world, to be completely irrational. In her mind, prejudice so often leads to cruelty and arrogance, both of which she detests, that she wishes it could be eradicated forever.<br>
<b>* Arrogance.</b> Lily believes that everyone should be treated equally, which means she doesn't take kindly to people assuming they should receive special treatment based on the size of their bank account, their bloodline, a few talents they may possess, or any other reason that wizards and witches invent to explain why they are more important than others.<br>
<b>* Dishonesty.</b> Lily prizes being genuine, particularly with her friends. She never puts on a false front; instead, she simply expects her friends to like her for who she is, and she extends the same courtesy to others in accepting them for who they are. Duplicity, then, is one thing that she finds very hard to overlook. She would rather that you openly be someone with whom she cannot agree and whose company she cannot enjoy than that you pretend to be someone she would like. In fact, she would view behavior of that sort as a betrayal of friendship.<br>
<b>*Thunderstorms.</b> As much as she loves the rain and finds the sound of raindrops on the roof to be peaceful and soothing, Lily doesn't particularly care for the violent nature of a thunderstorm. It isn't that she is afraid of them, merely that the thunder and lightening disturb the music of the gently falling raindrops. It's also much more difficult to play in the rain when said rain is falling in thick sheets of hard, angry water drops.<br>
<b>* Seafood.</b> There's just something about it she can't stand. Maybe it's the faint briny flavor that permeates all seafood, or maybe it's the fact that some seafood has so many legs and feelers. Fish and chips are the only exception to this rule.<br>
<b>* Carrots.</b> This is probably a consequence of being called "carrots" so often as a little girl or of people remarking that her hair was "carrot red." Plus, orange is her absolute least favorite color. She also just doesn't like the way they taste. As with #6, there is an exception. Lily loves a good carrot cake, particularly the ones her Mum makes. They were one of her favorite treats when she was a little girl.<br><br><br><br>
<div style="width: 350px; color: #000000; text-align: center; font-family: 'Give You Glory', cursive; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18px;">From the Desk of Lily Potter</div><br><br>
Dear Mum and Dad,<br><br>
I hope you weren't alarmed by the owl, but that's how wizards send letters to one another. They don't use the post. That's one of tons of things I've been learning about being a witch this past week. I was sorted into Gryffindor House. I know that doesn't mean much to you, but Gryffindors are supposed to be brave, strong, good people, so I think it's nice. The only problem is that Sev was put in a different house, and I'm afraid we won't get to see each other that often.<br><br>
We do have classes together, though. And oh, Mummy! My classes are all as exciting and as wonderful as he promised they would be. I've already learned how to make feathers float. Yesterday, I even managed to do it to my chair! That's what we've been working on in Charms class. It's almost my favorite class, I think. I really love Potions, too, because we get to <i>make</i> things. And I've heard that, starting next week, we'll be taking flying lessons!<br><br>
So far all my classes have been good; all the teachers seem nice, and my housemates have been lovely. A couple of girls in my year seem especially nice. I hope we get to be friends. I miss you and Dad though. I can't wait to come see you both over Christmas. Maybe then I can show you all of the things I've been learning! I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Magic can do some pretty neat things. I have to go for now - it's nearly curfew and I want to send this owl tonight - but I'll write again as soon as I can.<br><br>
Love,<br>
Lily<br><br>
<center>*******</center><br><br>
Tuney,<br><br>
I'm sorry. I really am. I know I shouldn't have opened your letter, but I... I was hoping that it would say <i>yes</i> and that you could come to Hogwarts with Sev and me.<br><br>
I really think you'd like it here, Tuney. It's not.. freaky. It's wonderful, like the sweets I'm sending along with your letter. It's a chocolate frog, see? An actual one! It hops and everything!<br><br>
Anyway, it's getting late. I'll see you when I come home at Christmas. Please forgive me, Tuney. I miss you already. This doesn't have to change things between us. Honest.<br><br>
Lily<br><br>
<center>*******</center><br><br>
Sev,<br><br>
Can I copy your notes from Potions last Tuesday? I was in the Hospital Wing with a stomach ache, and Mary stopped taking notes halfway through class. Besides, you probably have the most thorough notes in the class. Except maybe Lupin's. Oh and can you meet me in the Entrance Hall after dinner tonight? I have a present for you that I never got a chance to give you before we left for Christmas hols.<br><br>
Lily<br><br>
PS - Did we have any homework? Mary didn't write that down either.<br><br>
<center>*******</center><br><br>
Dear Mum,<br><br>
Thanks a million for the tarts. They were scrumptious, as usual. I've only got a moment, but I promised I'd write you about the results of my career counseling session, so here goes.<br><br>
I told you I was thinking about become a Healer, right? (They're like Muggle doctors.) Well my meeting with McGonagall was early this afternoon, and she said she thinks I stand a very good chance of being accepted to the Healer Training Academy at St. Mungo's (that's the wizard hospital in London). She did warn me that I'll have to work on my marks in Transfiguration, though, otherwise I won't be able to continue with the class next year.<br><br>
But I'm not worried about that at the moment. I just wanted to share the good news with you! And thank you for the tarts of course. And inform you that, if you happen to make another batch any time soon, you can feel free to send them my way.<br><br>
Love,<br>
Lily<br><br>
<center>*******</center><br><br>
Severus,<br><br>
I'm not actually going to send this letter, so I suppose I can say what I want. Sometimes I regret what I said to you at the end of fifth year. Maybe I was too harsh. Maybe I should have given you another chance. But I'd been giving you second chances for years by that point, and you still kept choosing those Slytherin prats over me. Can't you see that they're not worth your time? You're better than them. I know you are. They're going to ruin their own lives and take you with them, and yet you can't see that.<br><br>
Why did you have to choose them, Sev? Don't you know how much that hurt me? First Petunia and now you. Back in first year, I was so upset that my own sister had rejected me, but I got through it because I still had you. My best friend. And now, even though you knew all of that, you've done the same thing that she did. How can I give you another chance after that? I can't go through something like that again.<br><br>
I'm Head Girl, by the way. Telling you was my whole reason for writing this fake letter. I'd like to think you'd be proud to find out, though. Maybe you will be in a few weeks, when you hear it announced at the Welcome Feast. Maybe you'll have changed by then, and you'll be my Sev again. Maybe I'm just being sentimental or something, but I don't care. It's the beginning of our last year at Hogwarts, and I can't help wishing it was like the beginning of our first. I miss the boy you used to be.<br><br>
Lily<br><br>
<center>*******</center><br><br>
Hey Head Boy,<br><br>
You know you really should try not to fall asleep in class. Just because Flitwick isn't tall enough to see beyond the first two rows of desks does not mean you can abuse your seating arrangements. I'm not letting you copy my notes after class this time. That is, not unless you can think of a really good way to persuade me. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.<br><br>
(Your) Head Girl<br><br>
<center>*******</center><br><br>
James,<br><br>
It's storming. You're off somewhere on a crazy mission. I'm stuck inside with a massive research essay on antidotes to write. And it's still only October 7. Remind me again why we decided not to just elope?<br><br>
Come home soon,<br>
Your Depressed and Impatient Fiancée<br><br><br><br>
<div style="width: 350px; color: #000000; text-align: center; font-family: 'Give You Glory', cursive; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18px;">Seven Milestones in the Life of Lily</div><br>
<div style="width: 350px; color: #000000; text-align: center; font-family: 'Give You Glory', cursive; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px;">(as told by some of the most important people in her life)</div><br><br>
<div style="width: 350px; color: #000000; text-align: center; font-family: 'Give You Glory', cursive; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px;">Betsy Evans - August 2, 1971</div>
In hindsight, I suppose that Nate and I should have always known our Lily was special. Of course we thought she was <i>special</i>, but just in the way that all parents of bright, good little children always do. And Lily certainly was a bright, happy girl. When she was little, Nate used to call her "his little rainbow," both because of her bright coloring and the fact that, even as a young child, Lily had a gift for making others smile. She was almost always smiling herself, you see. And she was so imaginative, so enthusiastic about everything she did! When she was very young, Lily became obsessed with faeries, or "faewees" as she called them then. By the time she went to primary school, she had somehow equated faeries with ballerinas, and she decided she was going to be a prima ballerina when she grew up. At that time, Nate hadn't yet been promoted to manager of the factory, so we weren't as comfortable as we are now, but we somehow managed to scrape up enough money to let Lily take ballet lessons at a nearby dance academy. Watching her onstage at her first recital made all the scrimping worth it. She was so happy! She was only six years old, but she threw herself into it, and she was such a smart, naturally graceful little girl that I do think she became rather good at it. The summer after that, she and Petunia spent much of their time dancing around the house playing their new ballerina game. They were so sweet when they played together. I wish they hadn't grown apart. Nate and I still hope that someday they will reconcile, but for the moment, things don't look so good.<br><br>
Of course, all of that changed the summer of 1971, when we had a visit from a woman named Minerva McGonagall. At first, Nathaniel and I could not believe what we were hearing. Lily, though, seemed to have been expecting something like this to happen, because, as she told me later that day, her friend Severus had told her all about the magical world. I wonder now if her childhood obsession with faeries and all manner of magical creatures was because somewhere deep down she knew that they truly existed and that she was a part of their world. And of course, when I thought about it, I realized that the signs had been there all along, just as this McGonagall woman had said.<br><br>
My mind was drawn, in particular, back to one afternoon when Lily was only three years old. I had just come upstairs to see if she and Petunia were awake from their naps. Lily, of course, was wide awake and sitting cross-legged on her bed. That was nothing out of the ordinary. But what <i>was</i> unusual was the fact that four of the porcelain faerie figurines we had recently bought for her were flying in circles around her head. Yes, actually flying. And my tiny, red-headed daughter was sitting in the middle of them, giggling and clapping her hands as if it were the most wonderful, and natural, thing in the world. That was the first of many strange occurrences throughout her primary school days. And, of course, it all makes sense now.<br><br>
But oh my. I'm sorry. I've wondered dreadfully off-topic again, haven't I? What was the question again? Oh yes. How did her father and I feel about learning our daughter was magical? Well to be honest, I'm not sure it really sunk in right away. During that first year she was away, it was easy to pretend that Lily was at a regular boarding school. Of course her letters home were delivered by owls and some of the things she talked about were rather odd, but I don't think it really sunk in for us that our Lily was part of a totally different world until the summer of 1973, when her letter for her third year arrived. <br><br>
You see, there was additional part to this one. It was a permission slip for some place called Hogsmeade, which Lily could only visit if Nathaniel or I signed the little scroll of parchment. According to the description, Hogsmeade was the only all-wizarding village left in Britain. For some reason - I still don't quite know why - it actually hit me then. Our Lily was especially special. She was growing up to inhabit a different world than Nate and I, one that we couldn't really understand no matter how many stories we asked her to tell us. And suddenly, I found I was fighting back tears. Oh I signed the permission slip of course, and I managed to smile as I did it, but that night when Nate and I were alone in our room I finally broke down. Please don't misunderstand me. I am so very happy for Lily and so very proud of her. We love her just as she is; we always have. And I am glad and proud of the life she is making for herself in her world. It's just that sometimes I feel like she lives an ocean away from me, even though she and James are really only a couple hours south, in London.<br><br><br>
<div style="width: 350px; color: #000000; text-align: center; font-family: 'Give You Glory', cursive; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px;">Petunia Evans Dursley - June 16, 1972</div>
I would like to begin by stating that it's very rude of you to simply <i>demand</i> my response to this question. In case you haven't heard, it's a touchy subject. However, since answering you is the only way to make you leave me alone, I will oblige.<br><br>
No, I did not <i>drop</i> my sister because I was jealous. What a preposterous suggestion. I decided to stop associating with her because she was a <i>freak</i>. She was always saying strange things about faeries and unicorns and all that rot, even when we were little. And she believed it too. When she got her letter about that Hogwarts place, that only made things worse. She thought it confirmed her opinions or something. And that Snape boy. I knew from the start he was a bad influence on her! I was right, wasn't I? He convinced her to do something <i>illegal</i> like <i>opening another person's mail.</i><br><br>
No, I was very glad when Mum and Dad put her on that train to that ridiculous new school of hers. Then I could go back to my normal life with my nice, normal friends at my perfectly nice, normal school. Of course I didn't count on summer vacation. Things had been going along wonderfully at home until the day <i>she</i> returned from <i>Hogwash</i> or whatever the place is called. Then suddenly, it was all Lily this and Lily that. "Oh, Nate, just look at this newspaper Lily's brought back with her. The pictures <i>move!</i> "Say, Lil, your mum sure left a mess for me in the kitchen tonight. Think you could help me out with that magic wand of yours?" It was disgusting, and it was all her fault. So I just stormed up to my room and, for the rest of the summer, I refused to speak to her unless absolutely necessary. So, yes, I suppose you could say that was the day I really stopped being friends with my sister. Stopped associating with her, I mean. Ugh! You make it sound so awful, when really it's a perfectly sensible reaction.<br><br><br>
<div style="width: 350px; color: #000000; text-align: center; font-family: 'Give You Glory', cursive; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px;">Severus Snape - October 16, 1974</div>
It was in our fourth year that I actually realized - or actually admitted to myself - that what I felt for Lily Evans was more than friendship. (Yes, I am aware that her name has technically changed, but I refuse to associate a name as disgusting as "Potter" with someone as lovely and perfect as Lily. Get over it.) How could I not love her? She was my first friend and the only true one I've ever had. She's beautiful, kind, loyal, brave, and good. That's what stands out the most to me, I think. Her goodness. To me, Lily represents the one thing in my world that is still beautiful and good. My world was a dark, lonely place before I met her; it is darker still now that we are estranged forever. But when we were younger, when we were still best friends, I had the privilege of basking in the warmth and light of her kindness.<br><br>
Again, how could I not love her? I don't know when it began, but I do remember the first time I realized it. We were sitting in a back corner of the Library, working on a Potions assignment together. Already, our friendship was becoming strained as I spent more and more time with my Slytherin compatriots, of whom she thoroughly disapproved, but today that was all forgotten. We were just two best friends, helping each other with a particularly demanding homework assignment. Her seat was by the window, and at one point I looked up and she was sitting there bathed in a sunbeam. It must have finally stopped raining outside. That golden light dancing over her dark red hair was mesmerizing, but that wasn't what caught my attention. My eyes were glued to the bright blue ink spot she'd managed to smear on her cheek, and suddenly I was seized with the desire to lean across the table and kiss it away. Of course I didn't act on that urge. And I never told her I had feelings for her. It wasn't like that was the only secret I was keeping from her.<br><br>
That moment passed quickly, but my feelings for Lily, to my dismay, did not. Worse, we began to grow apart. She told me over and over that she didn't like the crowd I was hanging around with. Always, she tried to make me see that I wasn't like them, that I could be someone better than what they would turn out to be, but I didn't listen. She didn't understand, and part of me didn't want her to. Then came that disastrous day when I called her a Mudblood and she refused to speak to me any more. She managed eventually to forgive me, I think. At least, by the time sixth year began, she would work with me in class if necessary. Sometimes she even smiled at me if our eyes met from across the room. But she didn't seek out my company as she used to. We didn't talk. We weren't best friends any more. I was no longer a part of her life.<br><br>
Sometimes I wonder if it isn't better this way. Maybe there isn't room for someone like me in the life of someone so good, with such high ideals, as Lily Evans. Even though I am no longer a part of her life, I can still protect her, as I always intended to do back when we were in school. Lily deserves, needs protection. She is far too good and too trusting to see that some people don't deserve second chances. That some people, like me, are spies and false friends who don't deserve to be trusted. But if she knew that and believed it, she wouldn't be my Lily anymore, and I am determined that she will never have to learn that terrible lesson.<br><br><br>
<div style="width: 350px; color: #000000; text-align: center; font-family: 'Give You Glory', cursive; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px;">Remus Lupin - May 30, 1975</div>
It really wasn't a good day for either one of them. James or Lily, I mean. And I guess Snape too. Yes, I know what incident you're referring to and why you came to ask me about it. I suppose I was in a unique position then, being the Marauder who was also good friends with Lily Evans. And, out of the four of us, I do think it makes the most sense that I befriended her first. After all, when we were both made Prefects in fifth year, we started spending a good deal more time together than she did with any of the other lads.<br><br>
Once I got to know her better, I could understand what James had always seen in her. She's very lovely of course, but it's more than that. Lily's the kindest person I know. She really doesn't care about superficial appearances; she has this ability to see you and love you for who you really are. She always looks for the best in you, too, and she has this way of eventually making you see the good in yourself. It is immensely refreshing being friends with someone as real and honest as Lily. Of course, she can be a tad bit annoying too, just because she's so stubborn. Once she gets an idea in her head, it's very difficult to convince her otherwise. She's also got a very quick temper. Fortunately, I am rarely on the receiving end of it; that lot usually falls to her poor, beleaguered husband now. (Hah! Kidding. He loves it, and everyone knows it.) <br><br>
What? Oh right. The day of O.W.L.s. Sorry. Well what more do you want me to say about it? Most everyone at Hogwarts knows what happened. James and Sirius were -ahem- bothering Snape, Lily stepped in to defend her friend, and Snape blew up at her (something which did not surprise us at all). What I don't think many people know is how torn up she was about it. Yes, everyone knew she snapped at Snape and had a huge row with James about it that evening (she blamed him, perhaps with <i>some</i> good reason, for causing the whole thing). But only those of us close to her saw how difficult a choice she had made.<br><br>
Lily's a very forgiving person, you see. God knows she's forgiven me plenty of times when I went along with James and Sirius' wild schemes and I did something I probably shouldn't have. So it takes a lot to make Lily give up on you. Unless you're James, of course, but that's a story for another day. What I'm trying to say is that she must have been really and truly hurt to sever ties with Snape like that. The end of that school year was just awful for her, much as her other friends and I tried to comfort her. By the time she came back for sixth year, though, she was herself again. And really, it was better this way. James was of course the most vocal about this, but Sirius, Peter and I (and the likely the rest of the school) had always thought she was too good for him.<br><br><br>
<div style="width: 350px; color: #000000; text-align: center; font-family: 'Give You Glory', cursive; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px;">Mary MacDonald - November 30, 1976</div>You want to know about Lily Evans? Okay let's see. She loves rain but hates thunderstorms. Turquoise is her favorite color, and she can't stand orange. Lily's extremely ticklish. She bites her lip when she's nervous. She sings in the shower. She- oh you actually want a <i>story</i> about her. Okay. Sorry. Um.... Jesus, how am I supposed to pick just one? I mean, we've been best friends since first year, so there's tons I could tell you.<br><br>
My favorite thing about Lily? Okay um... I guess it would be her spirit. Don't get me wrong; she's not always the most pleasant person to be around. The girl is extremely stubborn. Once she gets an idea in her head, it's very difficult to convince her otherwise. She's also got a very quick temper. Fortunately, I am rarely on the receiving end of it; that lot usually falls to poor Potter. Boy, when those two get going... Anyway, that girl has got spunk. It's no wonder she's a Gryffindor. She's pretty much the bravest person I know. Things are kind of tense at Hogwarts nowadays, and Muggleborns like Lily and I are likely to be picked on. Some of us just take it. But not Lily. She refuses to take crap from anyone, including me, and she's always stood by me and defended me. That's one thing I love about Lily. If you're her friend, she's got your back. Always. No questions asked.<br><br>
I remember this one time in sixth year, when Lily and I were on the way to the Great Hall for lunch. It was the day I'd just been released from the Hospital Wing after Mulciber attacked me. I don't know why, but he was hanging around outside the classroom <i>looking</i> for me. I swear he was. So anyway, Lily and I are walking along minding our own business, when all of a sudden Mulciber comes looming up beside us, leering down at us, and he starts taunting me about what he did to me and telling Lily she's got the same thing coming to her. Next thing I know, Lily has her wand out, pointed right between his eyes, and she's telling him in the iciest of tones exactly what she thinks of him. Mulciber just smirks at her and whips his own wand out, but before he can actually say anything back, she's taken a step forward and now he's got to go cross-eyed to keep his eyes on the tip of her wand. And Lily informs him in no uncertain terms that she is deducting fifty house points from Slytherin and that, if he does not back down and leave the both of us alone, she is going to first hex his balls into a permanent knot and then report him to the Head Boy for another week's worth of detentions.<br><br>
And that's exactly what Mulciber did. Sure, he muttered something particularly nasty about Mudblooded bitches at both of us as he slunk away, but he backed down and left us alone. That was the first time I'd ever seen Lily actually ready to duel to defend someone, and let me tell you, it was pretty fearsome.<br><br><br>
<div style="width: 350px; color: #000000; text-align: center; font-family: 'Give You Glory', cursive; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px;">Horace Slughorn - September 3, 1977</div>
Roger Bowden<br>
Head Healer<br>
St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries<br>
September 3, 1977<br><br>
Dear Sir,<br>
I write to you to convey my warmest of recommendations in favor of your accepting Miss Lily Evans' application to the St. Mungo's Healer Training Program. Having been her Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the past six years, I can say without reservation that Miss Evans possesses the academic skill, magical ability and character necessary to become a Healer at so prestigious a hospital as St. Mungo's.<br><br>
Miss Evans has been a diligent, intelligent student since the day she set foot in my classroom, a fact to which her excellent O.W.L. scores can testify. I am fully confident that at the end of the academic year, her N.E.W.T. scores will reflect the same level of natural aptitude and dedication to the search for knowledge that is shown in her O.W.L.s. She is a quick-witted and curious student, always eager to learn the answer to her questions and determined enough to continue seeking until she has found it.<br><br>
Aside from being a good student, Miss Evans is also an extremely talented witch. In all my years of teaching, I have seen few students who have grasped the subtle art of potion-making as intuitively as she has, and I am told by my colleagues at Hogwarts that she is as capable with a wand as she is with a cauldron. I can remember one particular instance in which, as a challenge to my fifth year students, I gave them an extra-credit assignment of brewing a befuddlement draught, which is normally an assignment I reserve for my seventh year N.E.W.T. students. Miss Evans' befuddlement draught was the best of the three turned in to me, and it was better than any of the ones my seventh years had managed to brew that same week. Since that day, I have only continued to be astounded by her magical aptitude.<br><br>
In conclusion, I strongly recommend that Miss Evans' application be accepted. I have no doubt that she will make an excellent trainee, and I am certain that, in the future, she will be a talented Healer and a fine asset to St. Mungo's Hospital.<br><br>
Sincerely,<br>
Horace Slughorn<br>
Potions Master and Slytherin Head of House<br>
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry<br><br><br>
<div style="width: 350px; color: #000000; text-align: center; font-family: 'Give You Glory', cursive; font-weight: bold; font-size: 14px;">James Potter - October 27, 1978</div>
What's my favorite memory of Lily? HAH! I really have to pick just one? Oh okay, well in that case, how long've you got? Fine, fine, I'll try to keep it short and sweet. Erm... I suppose if I <i>had</i> to choose, I would narrow it down to this onnnne particular day in late 1978. October 27, to be exact. That was the day, you see, in which my darling Lily Flower left behind the name "Evans" forever and became "Lily Potter," which if you ask me, is a far superior name. It was literally the happiest day of my life, except possibly for last July when she made me the proudest father alive. But since the former was kind of necessary for the whole fatherhood thing to happen, I'll stick with my original decision. And really, it was the best day ever. I can't even begin to describe how it felt to be standing at the front of the room, watching Lily walk down the aisle towards me looking like some sort of angel descended from the heavens. We had to have a small wedding, both for time and safety's sake, but neither of us cared. We had our friends, we had each other, and that was all that mattered. <br><br>
Sometimes, though, I still can't believe I managed to get that girl to marry me. I mean, anyone who was at Hogwarts with us knows I didn't have an easy time of it. By the end of sixth year, I was toying with the idea of giving up on a lost cause. Of course, now I'm eternally grateful that I didn't (and to Dumbledore for deciding to make me Head Boy), 'cause once seventh year rolled around, I finally managed to work my way into her good graces. We became friends. It was glorious. Of course I still wanted more. I think that first time Lily said yes was partially out of pity. Or perhaps just her innate kindness. But it doesn't matter. After I'd convinced her to give me just one chance, the rest, as they say, was history.<br><br>
Not that I mean to insinuate we've had the most peaceful and easy of relationships. Lily and I are both too stubborn and too quick-tempered for that. When we do argue, it's something of a mini firestorm, but one of the best things about Lily is her temper dies down pretty much as quickly as it rises. And she's never been one for holding grudges, which makes me a very lucky man. She's always ready to forgive and give me a second chance.<br><br>
Seriously, though. Some people may claim I'm cocky, but in reality, I know I'm the luckiest man alive to have managed to get a woman like Lily Evans to marry me. (And no, Sirius, I don't care if you call me a sap for saying it.) I mean, who wouldn't feel that way? Even the most superficial blokes would have nothing to complain about. My wife is bloody gorgeous. All that flaming red hair. And those eyes. Sometimes all she has to do is <i>look</i> at me, and- erm anyway. But, even better, she's as beautiful inside as she is on the outside. I've never met anyone like her. She's brilliant and a seriously formidable witch (just packed into one petite, five-foot four-inch body). She's the kindest person I know; she has this gift for really seeing someone and just loving them for who they are. I love her sense of humor, her vivacity, and the fact that she refuses to take crap from anyone. I love that she's brave enough to keep dreaming, hoping and fighting for a happy ending to this war, and I'm pretty sure I'd be lost without her by my side.<br><br>
.........<br>
................<br><br>
So erm... yeah. October 27, 1978. Best day of my life.<br><br><br><br>
<div style="width: 350px; color: #000000; text-align: center; font-family: 'Give You Glory', cursive; font-weight: bold; font-size: 18px;">Recently Overheard at No. 7 Waverton Street</div><br><br>
"Sirius Black! If you insist on raiding my pantry, could you at least have the decency to ask me first?"<br>
"What? Oh. Sorry. Did you want anything?"<br>
(muttered) "Why do I even bother?"<br><br>
*******<br><br>
"Yeah, with this luck you're having, the Caterpillars might even win."<br>
"It's Caerphilly <i>Catapults.</i>"<br>
"Whatever."<br>
(with a long suffering sigh) "I take it back. That's a demerit in the spouse wars."<br>
"Oh we're in a war? No Christmas biscuits for you then. Can't go helping the other side."<br>
(groaning) "You're not fighting fair."<br>
"S'not my fault you're rubbish in the kitchen."<br><br>
*******<br><br>
"Promise me something?"<br>
"Sure, anything."<br>
"Don't ever go chasing after two senior Death Eaters on your own again."<br>
"...... Lily.."<br>
"Don't start! I'm not saying you can't fight them. I just... even Moody thinks you shouldn't have done it."<br>
"When opportunity knocks, you've got to answer the door!"<br>
"Then take Sirius or Moody or someone with you. You don't have to take needless risks!"<br>
"Yes, mum."<br>
"........."<br>
"Aw, c'mon... don't be like that."<br>
"It's not a joke, James. At least, I'm not joking."<br>
"Nothing's gonna happen to either of us, Lily. And I won't be making the same mistake again."<br><br>
*******<br><br>
"Lil? What's wrong?"<br>
"I... I... <i>that</i>" (pointing)<br>
"What in Merlin's name is <i>that</i> thing?"<br>
"It's a vase. From Petunia. As a... a very late wedding present, I suppose."<br>
"Oh... er... that's ni-"<br>
"And it's so <i>ugly</i>!"<br>
"Understatement of the year there. Hang on. Are you... crying or-"<br>
"Laughing? I don't honestly know. It's just so... so like her."<br>
"Well cheer up, love. We'll put it on our most teetery table and then maybe someday it will fall off and shatter."<br>
"<i>James!</i>"<br><br>
*******<br><br>
"Maybe we can just leave the decorations up a bit longer. I always hate taking them down."<br>
"Er... why?"<br>
"Well putting them up is one thing, but who wants to spend all that time packing them away? It's depressing."<br>
"Lils.. you do realize you're a witch, right?"<br>
"Oh... true." (flicks wand) "Problem solved."<br><br>
*******<br><br>
"Remus? Er... nice to see you."<br>
"Hullo, Lily. H-how're things?"<br>
"Hang on.. did you get chucked out again?"<br>
"What? Oh er no I just... fancied a visit is all."<br>
"Come inside. I'll make up the guest room."<br>
"Really, it's not a big deal. I don't want to bother you. I just-"<br>
"-just need time to get back on your feet, I know. Now come <i>in.</i>"<br><br>
*******<br><br>
"You do realize we're going to plan you a ridiculously amazing party whether you like it or not."<br>
"But, Mary, honestly, you needn't bother. Everyone's so busy nowadays."<br>
"All the more reason for us to get together and have a party."<br>
"But-"<br>
"No buts, Evans. You're getting a birthday party whether you like it or not."<br>
"Potter."<br>
"What?"<br>
"It's Potter now, remember?"<br>
"Oh... right. God, I'm still not used to that."<br>
"Me either." (dreamy sigh)
<br><br><br><br>
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