Percilla sat down in front of the fire that night. She had been reading the diaries secretly, away from prying eyes and loose lips.

July 15, 1971, 11:45 AM

Dear Diary,

I got a letter today in the mail. I was surprised when Petunia told me it had my name. Father took it and read the letter out loud. It claimed I was a witch, and I had been selected to go to a particular school to practice magic. Mother cried. Father said there was no such thing as magic and that it was a silly prank probably pulled by school children. Tunie asked who would want to be a freak for. I stayed in my room and cried that night.

Lily

July 20, 1971, 7:20 PM

Dear Diary,

I dared to speak to Severus about the letters I'd been receiving. Each one, my father, had been getting more mad at. I watched him burn my notes in the fireplace while my mother cried. I'm not sure why they are so upset. Mother said it was the devil's work, and father said it was just a childhood prank. Severus swears they are real. He got one too. We lay out in the field of flowers, looking up into the sky and talking. He's the only person who doesn't make me feel alone. I know my father will not let me go if this is real. Severus will go, and I will be alone. Utterly alone.

Lily,

August 3, 1971, 10:30 PM

Dear Diary,

We had a visitor today. A lady came to the house. Father was out at work, so it was just Mother, Petunia, and I. She said she was Professor at the school I had been getting letters from. Mother about fainted when the Professor pulled out a stick of all things and fixed our broken table. It was amazing to see, but it scared Petunia. I've always scared Petunia. She's just like mother. Professor McGonagall took me to go school shopping at the magic market. I told her I had no money, as my father forbade me to go. But the lady assured me that they had ways of helping muggle-borns. That was surprising to me. I had never been called a muggleborn before. I walked into my first pub. It allowed me into the magic market. It was everything. The witches were beautiful. I brought my saved-up tooth fairy money and was able to buy some books for myself. I can not wait to talk to Severus tomorrow.

Lily,

August 24, 1971, 4:48 PM

Dear Diary,

Father hit me today. Mother's embarrassed and said she doesn't know what she'll tell the church. Petunia called me a freak and said she hoped I left for this school and never returned. We are not always the best of sisters. We fight and argue. However, ever since I got mad and magically turned her hair blue, she's hated me. Severus is excited. He's been telling me about the school and the houses. I'm worried I'll be in a different house than Severus, but he assures me we'll always be friends. I'm terrified I won't make any friends. Will they think I'm a freak? Petunia does, and the girls at primary do. Why is it so hard to make friends? Maybe I won't always be alone.

Lily

September 14, 1971, 8:23 PM

Dear Diary,

We arrived at Hogwarts. This place is fantastic. I got sorted into Gryffindor. The hat talked to me for five minutes. The older girl called me a house stall. The hat was not sure where to put me. It thought Ravenclaw would have been exceptional, but so would Gryffindor. I'm not sure why but I hope it is correct, and Gryffindor is where I belong.

Lily,

May 24, 1972, 1:34 PM

Dear Diary,

I got off the train today. The school year was outstanding, but I had to go back home. Father picked me up. No sign of mother or Petunia. Father asked how I enjoyed my trip and made small talk with me. But gave me a firm warning to only tell people I went to a Catholic girl's school instead. I'm counting the days until I get back to the castle.

Lily

August 01, 1972, 9:12 AM

Dear Diary,

We went to church this morning. I could feel my mother looking at me the whole time like I was going to burst into flames as the priest spoke. I could hear her talking to someone on the phone while father was at work. She told them she needed to get me exorcised. I'm not sure what that is, but if it comes from mother, it's not good. Only nine days left before I go back and leave them.

Lily

January 4, 1973, 5:23 PM

Dear Diary,

I hate James Potter. I don't know why and I'm not sure how but I do. I'm starting to hate and feel awful all the time. I'm going to be 13 this month. I don't know if it has anything to do with the harlot call my mother told me about. Something about bleeding, but I am not sure. I just feel like everything that Potter and his friends do annoys me. Even Serverus' friends from Slytherin annoy me. I wish I could be myself again.

Lily

March 18, 1973, 8:32 AM

Dear Diary,

It came. The red devil, the harlot call. My menstrual cycle, according to Madam Pomfrey. She said it was normal. Every girl my age gets it. But I feel dirty. Like I had done something, my mother warned me not to. Madam Pomfrey showed me what spells to use while at school, but I don't know what I will do when I get back home to the muggle world. I'll have to tell mother.

Lily

June 28, 1973,

Dear Diary,

I don't know what time it is. Mother told Father she would take me to get my hair fixed for Petunia's birthday. But she took me to church. They tied me up and kept throwing water at me. I cried. They kept asking for my name, calling me a demon. I cried for mother to make them stop, but she didn't. She told me never to tell my father about this. What is wrong with me?

Lily

October 29, 1973, 10:30 AM

Dear Diary,

During a free moment in Potions, one of my classes with Servus, he invited me to spend All Hallows' Eve with him and the other Slytherins. He discussed the tradition and what the student does. I declined. Mother already hates me for being a witch. She would hate me more for celebrating a pagan holiday. Slughorn complimented me today. He is head of Slytherin house, but he is kind. He invited me to a dinner party. I might go.

Lily

January 1, 1974, 12:01 AM

Dear Diary,

Happy New Year. It's 1974, and I will be 14 this year. I went to Headmaster Dumbledore's office over the Christmas break. I begged the man to let me stay over the summer break. I offered to work in exchange for my room and board. He told me no. Ask why I didn't want to go home. I told him my parents do not like me. Muggles do not enjoy the strange and unusual. He told me that I must be making it up. He told me no other muggleborn child had ever come to him with these issues before. I will have to go home. Mother will be mad; Father will be indifferent. He offered me candy before I left, I didn't want it, but I took one anyways. I slept hard that night.

Lily

September 14, 1974, 7:35 PM

Dear Diary,

I feel different this year. I talked my father into signing my Hogsmead papers now. I don't have to say back into the castle. James Potter is still a nuisance. Severus feels the same. He is an arrogant boy who gets everything he has ever wanted. Watching him not have to work for anything but still get everything gets frustrating. Severus has begun being friends with Lucius Malfoy. I don't know much about Lucius, but I already feel like I don't like his kind. Don't ask me how I know this. I just do.

Lily

October 21, 1974, 10:43 AM

Dear Diary,

I hate James Potter. Why he has to annoy me, merlin only knows. I've tried so hard to ignore him, but he is in every class I am in. He wanted to sit with me in Defense today, but I changed to Remus Lupin. He's a kind boy but shy. He's also Potter's friend, so he obviously has no taste. I feel like Dumbledore keeps staring at me during meal times. It is getting increasingly uncomfortable. Maybe I should talk to Professor McGonagall.

Lily

November 18, 1974, 7:19 PM

Dear Diary,

I hate James Potter. He hurts Severus all the time. I call him a Toerag and whatever mean names I can think of. I just want him to leave me alone. He calls me Lily Flower. I hate that name. He doesn't do it because he likes me regardless of what Marlena says. He does it to be a right prick to Severus.

Lily

December 06, 1974, 9:05 AM

Dear Diary,

I hate James Potter. He asked me out again today. He did it right in front of everyone in the great hall. It was embarrassing. People looked at me and laughed. I shouted. I didn't mean to, but I wanted him to leave me alone. He thinks he's being funny, but it's just hurtful.

Lily

January 10, 1975, 12:00 PM

Dear Diary,

I hate James Potter. He keeps asking me to the Hogshead during our weekends out. I tell him never. I start to feel my hate lessen, which scares me. I don't like him, but I look forward to him coming to talk to me. It is the strangest feeling cause I don't want him to go, but I wait for it. Today Severus got it bad. James threw food into his hair. Severus had always been made aware of how his hair looked. Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to go to his office again tonight. He says he needs to talk to me about my plans. It is never a tricky question, but I always get to leave with a piece of candy. Then I have a good night's sleep.

Lily

March 17, 1975, 5:32 PM

Dear Diary,

I hate Severus Snape.

, Mudblood

Percilla shut the diary. Confused and horrified at the notion that Severus Snape called the late Lady Potter a Mudblood. Percilla stared at the book's cover for a long moment before she felt the couch dip. Harry was sitting beside her.

"Hello Harry," Percilla asked, raising an eyebrow, "couldn't sleep?" It was after hours, and while Percilla should send him back to bed, she decided against it.

"No, scabers is squealing in his cage."

Percilla cringed a bit at the mention of the odd rat, "yeah, he's a mangy thing. I found him in the out garden when I was younger, and he was hurt, missing a toe. I took him to my mum to just take the thing out of its misery, but she gave me some speech about how every living thing needs a fair chance." Percilla rolled her eyes, "I took it, nursed it back to health, and set it free, but it would return to my room every night, and I found it in my hair. Eventually, I would lock it in a cage to stay out of my braid, but it gave me the creeps. I gave it to Ron as soon as possible."

"It is creepy," Harry agreed, laughing with Percilla but stopped, "Wait, I thought things aren't supposed to touch a witch's hair?"

"Anyone taught well know they are not supposed to. A witch's hair is unique and holds magic and power. Every night they brush it while providing the fallen strands as a gift to Mother magic. It's a gift to see a witch's hair, only family while the witch is young, and then only your bonded husband and children."

"And if someone touches a witch's hair?"

"Normally, an honor duel. A witch's betrothed, if not old enough, her father. It is generally to the death."

"Death?" Harry asked, his eyes widened at the ideal.

"It is the utmost disrespect and degrading thing a wizard can do to touch a witch's hair. It feels horrendous, sickly. Never do it, Harry, unless it is your bound."

Harry nodded, deep in thought, before meeting her eye, "I talked to Neville."

"Oh?" Percilla asked, knowing that that was probably the reason Harry was down here in the first place.

"Yeah, we had talked for a while about how we are God Brothers. It was challenging, but he also explained to me about his parents and their state," Harry looked a bit sheepish, but Percilla understood what had happened to the Longbottoms was horrendous. "He was raised the pureblood way, and we talked about that for a while. I can't believe that there was a whole part of the wizarding world that I never knew about."

"You probably would have never been told," Percilla began, "the olde-ways are frowned upon. While no one brings it up, The Dark Lord and Dumbledore are very much alike. While the Dark Lord collected followers for money and power, Dumbledore did the same. Both with warped viewpoints and misguided ideals. They single-handedly took the lives of many witches and wizards for their cause, and it never ends." Percilla said sadly.

"I never thought of it like that," Harry's voice spoke quietly. "you're brilliant, Perci."

"I can't take all the credit," Percilla smiled as she held up the diary, "your mum began explaining it in her diary. She was brilliant."

Harry looked sad at the leather-bound book that lay in Percilla's hand. It was probably tough for the young boy to remember his parents passing him but never knowing them personally.

"Read it to me?" the voice that came out reminded Percilla of Harry's age. Harry was just a child. He was twelve. Percilla smiled as she opened the diary to the page she had left.

"Get comfortable," she whispered as she looked down to where the boy rested his head on her shoulder. "September 14, 1975, 7:15 AM. Dear Diary."