Potter

Chapter 1

  Great Britain has been waking up to a shiny and peaceful truth for a decade. The oddest side of it, that is. The side of London who seems to be unaware of traffic, the side where strange things happen, the side where everyone seems to fancy bizarre clothes and is always speaking nonsense.

That night, a windy and starry night, London rested peacefully. The city that never slept seemed to have taken a break. Maybe from the hot and sweaty summer that clung to everything and everyone in a very much exhausting manner. Perhaps, on such calm Wednesday, everyone chose to put a pause in their night lives to just relax. Because, as odd as it might sound, everything, even the grass, or the trees, seemed to be completely and serenely static.

But there was, like there always is, a flaw in this big system of steadiness. Feet moved in the dark, over the grass, rapidly. They sort of skipped, like a little girl would. If there was anyone watching, it would notice the flashes of a white night robe, appearing here and there, under the moonlight.

The energetic bare feet that, up until now, hopped in a hurry, stopped in a halt. But, as if just to catch a breath, continued again. This time, however, they no longer moved forward, but upwards. They climbed this tree, foot after foot over the flat pieces of wood nailed into its hard, black trunk. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Until there were no steps anymore.

Knock. Knock. Knock-knock. Knock.

Cold skin against the cold surface above. And as fast as the sound echoed throughout the holt, a square right over the stairs, cut out from above and revealed a passage way.

"Hey" said Lily nonchalantly after accommodating her petite self. She sat with her legs crossed and her back against the wall.

The little treehouse had nothing but four walls, a window and a roof. Quite a nice job for two ten-year-old kids. Looking around, her eyes widened in surprise, something was different...

"I didn't know you had added the curtains" she speaks again, standing up to check it out. The square whole on the wall with a small windowsill did, as a matter of fact, have a flower-patterned cloth, parted in two and attached to its upper part. Lily thought it gave the idea of a somewhat cozy environment. But the best part, and that the girl agreed completely, was what laid after the fabric. For, once it was out of the way, their little forest came into view, alongside the small river to the left, before the yellow house but after the maroon mansion.

To the right there was her house, standing prominently and clearly, with its white marbled pillars reflecting the light of the stars, of the moon and whatever thing that shinned.

Lily inhaled the chill air and closed her eyes, just before turning around and sitting down again by her initial place. The girl sat opposite to a boy, who very imperceptibly, felt extremely uneasy.

Such thing would've been easily missed by any other eye, for he wasn't one to talk much, but not by her. And he knew that. Sooner or later she'd notice that his usual silence wasn't the usual and that he wasn't simply enjoying the peacefulness of their hiding place.

"What's wrong?" was what came out of her. Not even two minutes after they were both settled down. She stared intently at the boy's eyes who shone a pretty light grey. He sighed and from behind his back, brought out a letter with a stem Lily knew so well. Her face immediately transformed into the one she wore whenever they were pranking someone. Pure mischief eradiated from her wide smile. Grabbing the letter fiercely, like a cat, she tore it open and started reading aloud, much to the boy's frustration.

"Dear Mr. Volkov, we are pleased to inform you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" Lily squealed happily, "Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1st. We await your owl by no later than July 31st." And another squeal. None of those as high and excited as the one produced after the words "Headmistress Minerva McGonagall".