Lily Potter And The Metamorphagus

Part Two - Firs' Years

The remaining few weeks of the summer holidays fly by, the temperature still staying warm enough to make Lily's clothes sticky by the end of the day. She has already forgotten about the power of her wand's ancestor and has spent days practising basic spells in her bedroom. Muffet wearily watches Lily from her bed, clearly worried that one of the spells will rebound.

By the beginning of September, her large Hogwarts trunk is full to the brim with clothes, robes, schoolbooks and all of the other things Lily bought from Diagon Alley with her father. She can just about manage to click the case closed without having to sit on top of it to do so. Unfortunately, due to the introduction of a new rule after someone's pet rat disappeared on the Hogwarts Express last year, Muffet the Munchkin had to be packed away into her cage, leaving Lily dreading being alone on the train. James and Albus would certainly be off in a compartment with their fifth year and third-year friends and...

Oh, wait! Lily's worries disappear immediately, as she remembers that Hugo - her favourite cousin, of course - would also be joining Hogwarts this year. She lets out a sigh of relief and gets back to double checking that she has everything. With a final satisfied nod, Lily clunks her heavy trunk down the two flights of stairs, then returns back up them to collect Muffet's cage. With her brothers far more efficient at packing than her - having done this several times before - James is already waiting by the door with his bags by the car and Albus is leaving his room just as Lily picks up Muffet's cage. The small cat whines, unhappy with her newly-confined status, so Lily pokes her fingers through the cage sympathetically.

"Lily! Boys! We're leaving now!" Ginny calls up into the house. Lily looks out of her bedroom window at where James is starting to load everyone's bags into their Dad's Muggle car - courtesy of the Ministry of Magic. She takes one last quick glance around her room, finally certain that she has everything she'll need for the year, and hurries downstairs for the final time. Once all three of his children are in the car, Harry drives them straight to King's Cross Station. 

The family of five efficiently offload their baggage from the car onto trolleys - the sort Harry could really use in Diagon Alley - and rush through the station to the pillar between platforms nine and ten. James and Albus confidently run through with their belongings, leaving Lily with her parents. Both Ginny and Harry grab a hold of the sides of her trolley, smiling at their daughter's excitement. Lily runs through the wall as she has so many times before, but this time it's with her own trolley and she'll be leaving on the train she's been dreaming about for years.

The Potters meet up with the Weasleys like usual, and all exchange hugs with a quick chit-chat before all of the children are loaded onto the scarlet locomotive that is, of course, the magnificent Hogwarts Express. Lily had been looking around for Hugo, but according to Ron he was already onboard the train, searching for the 'witch with the snacks'. Shaking her head in disbelief, Lily hugs her parents, aunts and uncles one last time before also boarding the train. 

Lily waves goodbye to her parents through the windows, noticing that her mum is crying and her dad is beaming, all the while comforting Ginny, with his arm around her shoulder. Lily feels tears of her own forming, but she keeps them in and stays smiling. The train eventually pulls out of the station and Lily has to address a new matter: finding an empty compartment.

She passes five, each full with fifth, sixth and seventh years. Lily sighs, exasperated. Thankfully, a familiar head of red hair comes into view in one of the compartments. Lily raps her knucles on the glass door before sliding it open and she collides into a colossal hug with Hugo Weasely, son of Ron and Hermione Weasely. Lily ruffles his short hair affectionately.

"Hugo! How have you been?" Lily chirps, sitting in his carriage.

"I've been good thanks, Lil, yourself?" Hugo beams. Lily nods, and the two exchange excited conversation.