Before School Started
Lily felt that her life was simply perfect at the moment. Everything was moving in the best possible direction.
In the height of summer that August, she went to Godric's Hollow in person to inspect her newly opened fifth shop.
After seeing the neighborhood, the foot traffic, and the shop's location for herself, she was even more certain that her decision had been absolutely right. The people here were easygoing, Muggles and wizards lived peacefully side by side, and the atmosphere was relaxed and comfortable. It truly was the perfect place to put down roots.
Not far from the shop, a stretch of green hillside rose and fell. The evening breeze swept across it, stirring wave upon wave of grass. Lily stood at the shop entrance, gazing at the brand-new storefront and the open scenery, her eyes curving as they filled with a relaxed smile.
Below the hillside, unnoticed by anyone, a boy who looked thoroughly mischievous, his hair as messy as a bird's nest, was stealthily maneuvering a little child's flying broomstick.
It was James Potter.
He had sneaked out to play on his broom behind Mr. Potter's back. Usually reckless and unruly, he charged about on it without a care, and he had nearly plunged headfirst into a roadside bush just moments ago. Now, though, he came to an abrupt, steady stop in midair.
Amid the summer breeze, he caught sight of the red-haired girl standing not far away.
Her brilliant, fiery red hair lifted gently in the evening breeze, soft and fluffy against her clear, radiant face. A faint smile curved her lips, and he would have bet it was sweeter than his favorite Chocolate Frog. Her emerald-green eyes shone brightly, holding the sunset and the evening breeze.
James was instantly transfixed.
Following the girl's gaze without thinking, he saw only the brand-new department store—Tales of Blossoms, which had opened not long ago. His dad had mentioned it to him recently: a novel shop opened by Muggles, with a wide selection of goods and a particularly lively atmosphere.
James was utterly puzzled. In his world, the only things worth getting excited about, worth a genuine laugh, had always been speeding broomsticks, fun pranks, and all sorts of magical amusements. He had never seen anyone smile so happily at an ordinary Muggle department store, and he didn't understand it.
Curiosity and a mischievous urge to play a prank churned inside him. Without thinking, James wanted to put away his broom and go over to speak to this special girl and get to know her. Young and thoughtless though he was, he knew the rules: Muggles couldn't see broomsticks flying through the air, so he carefully prepared to hide himself.
But by the time he slowed down and looked up again, the red-haired girl who had been standing there had already turned and was walking briskly toward Mr. Evans's car by the roadside.
From beginning to end, she never noticed the boy below the hillside who had been secretly watching her.
James remained on the hillside, staring blankly in the direction the car had gone, feeling empty inside. Just moments ago, he had been full of delight and inexplicably stirred, thinking he had met the most special girl in the world. He had also privately regretted that she was only an ordinary Muggle and that they would most likely never meet again. An indescribable sense of loss lingered heavily in his heart.
Back home, the relaxed summer days were completely taken over by studying. Petunia had finally finished the holiday homework that had piled up for so long, and she promptly pulled Lily aside to go over first-year magical knowledge in earnest. Now a second-year at Hogwarts, she had an exceptionally solid grasp of the first-year basics. Her explanations were clear and comprehensive, and every word was relevant to an exam.
As Lily listened to her sister's rigorous, detailed explanations, Hermione Granger instantly came to mind. That same diligence and self-discipline, that same pursuit of perfection in everything—they were practically identical. Her thoughts drifted, and she couldn't help losing focus.
"Lily, are you listening to me? All of this is important material guaranteed to be tested in first year." Petunia keenly noticed that her mind had wandered.
Lily quickly returned her attention to the lesson, grumbling inwardly. Petunia's meticulous, study-obsessed nature was so like a Ravenclaw that Lily seriously suspected the Sorting Hat had put her sister in the wrong house. How had such a wise, top-performing student ended up in Gryffindor?
The tedious tutoring sessions dragged on until the end of August, when Petunia finally let her off for the time being. It wasn't because she had been moved by Lily's wheedling and persistent pleas to go play, but because she had to preview her advanced second-year coursework and had no time to keep an eye on her sister.
Instantly relieved, Lily hugged her weak and pitiful self, then slipped out of the house and headed straight for the town park, planning to find her only playmate and unwind.
The summer trees cast deep, cool shade, with dappled light filtering through the leaves. Lily spotted Snape reading quietly beneath a tree at once and ran over with a light step. "Severus!"
Hearing the familiar voice, the ever-quiet, taciturn Snape slowly raised his head. When he saw that it was Lily, his usually gloomy, hard expression softened, and a faint but genuine smile appeared.
Lily paused, deeply surprised. In her mind, Snape had always been aloof, solitary, and unsmiling, the sort of person who practically never smiled. Yet today, for once, he had smiled at her.
She sat down beside him and casually asked, "Have you been to Diagon Alley to buy your school supplies?"
Before Snape could answer, Lily spoke again in a natural tone. "I haven't bought mine yet."
Snape froze, his eyes full of confusion. He clearly remembered that Hogwarts professors personally guided young wizards from Muggle families to Diagon Alley to buy their supplies. Lily should have had everything ready long ago.
Professor McGonagall: That's pure slander!
After a brief moment of surprise, Snape grew anxious. His mind raced as he hurried to think of a solution for her. "Then what will you do when school starts? You don't have textbooks or wizard robes."
Seeing his earnest concern, Lily's eyes glimmered with amusement. She blinked her bright emerald-green eyes. "Severus, you know the way to Diagon Alley, don't you? Would you take me there?"
Looking into her clear, sincere eyes, Snape couldn't bring himself to say a word of refusal. After a moment's silence, he finally nodded. "All right, I'll take you."
"Yay! Thank you, Severus!" Lily promptly got to her feet and urged him to lead the way.
And so, the two eleven-year-olds boldly took the train to London on their own and set off for the Leaky Cauldron.
When they reached the wall behind the Leaky Cauldron, Snape took out his wand and tapped a brick three times. The wall slowly opened in response, revealing a wide passage, and the atmosphere of the magical world swept over them.
The moment they stepped into the passage, even the air turned fresh and sweet. Gone was the dull, dreary atmosphere of the Muggle town, replaced by the vibrant air unique to the magical world. Snape breathed a sigh of relief without thinking. This was where he truly felt at ease.
He was about to take Lily to Ollivander's Wand Shop first when he suddenly remembered something crucial. He stopped and turned to her. "Lily, did you bring any Galleons?"
Lily feigned innocence and shook her head blankly. "I only brought pounds. Is there a bank here where I can exchange money?"
Snape sighed helplessly and could only change direction, taking her toward Gringotts. In truth, he was deeply reluctant to go in there. The Goblins at Gringotts were especially fond of treating people according to their status.
Dressed in old robes, he was plainly a poor boy who couldn't produce any Galleons. Every time he came alone, the Goblins would give him cold, contemptuous looks and roll their eyes at him behind his back.