THE MARAUDERS ERA - Daisy Evans

II

It is now 1971, and Lilly will be getting her Hogwarts letter in only a few months she just had her birthday and turned 11. It is currently June, and the sweltering heat of the summer sun has become unbearable to the point where I have walked down to the beach that leads off of the back of our home in a green sundress with half of my hair tied back by a white bow to match the white flowers on my dress with no shoes on, so I can feel the sand in between my feet, where I am currently reading. 

It turns out that, to my hindrance and relief, I have kept my eidetic memory. It became apparent when I started school, and I could remember everything they taught the first time when I concentrated, and I didn't require any help from my teachers. Although, since I have already been through pre-school and primary school, and every level of education they have, I already knew it anyway. Of course, I never showed off or mentioned it. No one would believe me anyway, and even if they did, I would probably end up in a locked room, surrounded by four white walls, that would slowly drain the life out of me, not unlike a dementor. 

Unfortunately for me, my prowess at school only made me a target for people to bully and take advantage of, not unlike what happened in my previous life. Even though I kept my head down, only answered when spoken to, and did the work assigned and my homework, the teachers didn't take long to realise how smart I was and what it could do for them and the school, I got entered into competitions since the age of four where I was required to compete in spelling bees and chess tournaments, although I didn't mind chess much since I did enjoy the game. Whether or not I wanted to enter a competition or not I said yes because if I didn't, I would be called ungrateful even though someone else more deserving who wanted it could compete and if I said yes everyone would just assume the smart kid with a robot brain wanted to show off. So, I never bothered opening my mouth because either way, it wouldn't work out for me. My parents were happy for me, although sometimes they knew I didn't enjoy it, so they would allow me to compete locally, but when the school talked of competitions on the other side of the country, they put their foot down and said no if I didn't want to do it which I was grateful for. 

Petunia was not too happy for me, she was the smart one in the family, even when Lilly joined the school. Lily was smart, but Petunia was smarter than her, and then when I joined the school, and it became apparent that I was a 'prodigy', she started getting angry and making snide comments towards me under her breath whenever it was brought up that she would occasionally glare or scoff when she saw any of my awards up on the walls around the house, which is why I kept some in my room. 

I would usually hide them because I didn't think I deserved them with having an eidetic memory and already knowing most of the curriculum anyway, but I was tired of having to pander to everyone in my old life to make them feel more comfortable for something that wasn't even my fault, so I decided to stop caring, and I did, I didn't care anymore if someone was angry at me for winning awards or being entered into a competition. I simply ignored them. And it worked, it stopped bothering me, and I stopped living my life for other people.  

The air was starting to cool down. I've been out here for the afternoon, and as much as the breeze was nice against my overheated skin, I was starting to get cold, so I decided to trudge back to the house through the sand. When I reached the back door, I put the book down and wiped my feet using the towel I had set out. Once I cleaned up, I finally opened the back door and went in.

"How was the beach?" my dad asked when I entered the living room, he and my mum were sitting on the sofa watching the television while Petunia sat at the desk, Working on her homework, and Lilly was probably out with her new friend. 

"It was calming, the breeze was nice, and I managed to finish my book, too," I responded as I went over to them. 

"It must be nice not having to work hard to learn like everyone else; it could probably be considered cheating", Petunia muttered, not loud enough for our parents to hear but loud enough for me when I walked past her. I turned to look at her, and she was looking at me with a glare on her face.