Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC's.

Chapter One: Preparation

I'm woken from my sleep by a gentle shake and a squeaky voice. "Mistress Trinity, you must get up. Mistress Vivian does not want you to be late."

I turn over and bury my head deeper into the pillow. "Five more minutes ZZ." I groan.

"Breakfast is ready Mistress Trinity." The house elf prods me.

"It's just Trinity ZZ. I'll be down later, just a few more minutes."

"Master Alec told ZZ to pour water on you if you try to stay in bed-" She start but I interrupt her.

"Yeah right." I keep my eyes shut.

"Mistress Vivian approved."

My eyes snap open at that information. "Okay, okay, I'm up." I sit up. Mom doesn't normally approve of dad's jokes or pranks but every now and then she'll give him a pass in hopes of teaching me a lesson.

"Mistress Trinity must hurry; it's going to be a busy day."

I blearily rub my eyes and get out of bed, stumbling slightly as I make my way to the door. I walk into the hallway and see my dad with a look of giddy anticipation on his face.

His face falls at the sight of me. "Damn, I was hoping you'd be more stubborn this morning. The sight of your soaked face would've made my day."

I scoff. "Thanks dad." We walk down the stairs. "Y'know most parents would at least show some kind of heartache at the thought that they won't be seeing their child for four to nine months."

"You're attending one of the best schools in the world. I'm too proud to be sad." He grins as we enter the dining room.

"I still don't understand why I couldn't just go to Salem. I get that we moved to England, but if I'm going to a boarding school I at least want to be with people I know instead of being surround by strangers with weird accents."

My mother walks in from the kitchen. "As I explained before, some of the best witches and wizards I know attended Hogwarts. Your godfather is one of them." She says. "This is a chance to study under amazing professors and while Salem is a good school, Hogwarts will open more doors for you in the future." She hands me a letter after we take our seats at the table. "We're going to be making a quite a few stops today so eat quickly."

A loud pop sounds through the room as ZZ appears. She goes around the table, filling my glass with orange juice before pouring coffee into my parent's mugs. We all say our thanks before tucking in.

I scan the list in my hand.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

Wand, cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) set

Glass or crystal phials

Telescope set

Brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

I groan after reading the last line. "No broomsticks? Should I rip my soul out and leave it here as well?"

"Don't so dramatic." Mom says. "Now hurry up and finish so you can get dressed. We need to be gone before noon if we want to be on schedule."

"What schedule?"

"Once we get your supplies I need to check on the apothecary and then we need to go to the Ministry of Magic."

"Why?" I ask.

"Just to fill out some paper work." My dad answers. "Your mother is meeting with the head of the International Magical Trading Standards Body to inform them of the opening of her new stores and I need to see the head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures." He frowns at the end. "I'm going to be working with quite a few of them. I want to prove that magical creatures; beast, being, or spirit are sentient and should be allowed rights."

"Like ZZ." I nod. Normally house elves are treated like property, but it's never been like that for my family. Instead of being dressed in some rag of a potato sack, ZZ wears a uniform with the family crest on it. We even pay her twelve galleons a month so she has some spending money for herself.

"Yes." He nods. "Like ZZ. Hopefully I'll be able to make a change here."

"I don't doubt that you will." My mom smiles at him.

We stand in front of the fireplace after finishing breakfast and getting dressed.

"I'll go first, Trinity you follow after me, and your mom will be right behind you." Dad grabs a handful of floo powder and steps into the fireplace. "Diagon Alley!" He throws the fire down and disappears in a swirl of green flames.

Mom taps me on the shoulder, nudging me to go next. I gather floo powder in my hand and step into the fire place. "Diagon Alley!" I stumble out of the fireplace and my dad catches me, brushing some of the soot off of me.

A moment later, my mother appears and steps out of the fireplace. She looks at us and rolls her eyes, taking her wand out of its sheath and points it at us. "Scourgify." She does the same to herself. "Now, let's get going."

We walk down the alley, passing various shops on the way. A passing sign catches my eye. "Can we get my wand first?"

My mom follows my eye line. "We will get your wand, but now from there."

My brows furrow in confusion. "Then where?"

"You'll see." She answers, a small smirk forming on her face.

Finally we make it to the bank with a goblin standing near the doors. I read the words engraved upon them:

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

We enter and I watch the goblins as they scribble in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, and examine precious stones through eyeglasses. We stop in front of the large counter.

"We're here to gather some things from our vault." My mother says.

The goblin holds his hand out. "Your key?"

She opens her purse and digs it out before placing it in the goblin's hand.

He accepts the key and leads us to a door, opening it for us. Unlike the marble that covers the main room, we were lead into a narrow stone passageway lit with flaming torches. It sloped steeply downward and there were little railway tracks on the floor. He whistles and a small cart came hurtling up the tracks before stopping in front of us.

My dad and I grin. "This is the best bank ever. Remember when we first moved here?"

Mom rolls her eyes at us; she was quite annoyed that my dad would keep going to the bank for the smallest reasons just so he can ride the cart to our vault. I always went with him because it was the closest thing the wizarding world had for a rollercoaster. During the whole ride my mom couldn't keep the small smile off her face at the sight and sound of me and dad whooping through ever twist and turn as we hurtled through the maze of twisting passages. We came to a stop in front of vault 893. We all get off the cart and stand in front of the large door.

Mom smiles down at me. "This is your day; why don't you do the honors?" She holds out the key.

I push it into the keyhole and unlock it. The door slides out of the way, only to reveal another door behind it. The goblin then steps forward and strokes it gently with one of his long fingers. Gears shift and move before the door melts away, revealing the last door. I hold my hand against the door and feel a prick against each of my fingers. The drop of blood travels around the gears before settling where the keyhole should be. The door to our vault opens. My mother grabs my hand and waves her wand over it. Silently sealing the small wounds and cleaning the blood away. The goblin waits outside as we enter the vault.

"It's going to be a long year Trini." Dad says, grabbing an empty coin purse by the entrance of the room. He walks around the room and begins packing galleons, sickles, and knuts into the bag. "Remember; seventeen sickles to a galleon and twenty-nine knuts to a sickle."

Mom tugs on my hand, having not let go since we entered the vault. "Come. We have to go get your wand."

"My wand?" I ask. "Where?"

"Here." She leads me deeper into the vault and stops in front of a large shelf full so slim boxes. "As you know, the Clairborn's come from a long line of greatness. Not because we're purebloods, but because we all possessed incredible talents. Your great, great, great grandfather happened to be a wand-maker. He made you grandmother's wand, my wand, and soon your wand." She turns to the opposite wall where wands sit in crystal cases underneath the photos of their previous owners. She points to a picture near the bottom. "That's me." The picture shows a young version of my mother with a bright smile on her face as sparks shoot from her wand before it changes to an older version of her, showing her casting spells with it. "After today, you'll be on there as well."

"What if none of them work with me? I mean, the wand chooses the wizard right?"

"Then we'll still put you on the wall. The photos are to show your growth as a witch from the first time you pick up a wand, to when you're fully trained."

I turn back to the wall of boxes. "How do I know which one to choose?"

"You'll just feel it. Walk around and run your hand over the boxes, touch the wands and see which one calls to you."

After an agonizing ten minutes, my mother and father watch me walk back and forth across the shelf. I sigh and turn to them. "I don't think it's working. Maybe these wands aren't for me."

"You're thinking too much." Dad says, fiddling with the camera in his hands. "Just clear you mind and close your eyes. Let the wand call you."

I take a deep breath and follow his instructions. After a moment my feet begin to lead me towards the end of the shelf my hand shaking as I step closer and closer to my destination. I come to halt when a warm feeling spreads through my hand. I open my eyes and pull the box off the shelf. I read the description on it.

Wood: Purpleheart

Length: 15 inches (including crystal)

Core: Essence of Phoenix Ash

I open the box and see and expertly crafted purple wand with one crystal at the bottom and another at the tip. I take it into my hand and warmth spreads through my body.

My mom smile at me and my dad readies the camera. "Wave to the camera sweetheart." He says. I set the box down and smile as I wave the wand, sparks shooting out the end as wind rushes through the room. The camera gives a loud click with a flash.

Mom rushes forwards and hugs me. "My baby has her own wand." She coos into my hair.

"Mom!" I groan, but make no move to break the embrace.

"Hey, group hug!" My dad joins in.

Once we were done with that heartfelt moment. We made our way out of the vault and left the bank to continue our shopping.

We walk through the busy alley and my feet halt at the sight of beauty. There in the front window of the store lies the Nimbus 2000, the best broom yet. "Dad." I say, basically salivating over the sight as I press my face against the glass.

He follows my gaze and smiles before joining. "That's a thing of beauty ain't it?"

"I have to have it."

Mom grabs both of our shoulders and leads us away from the window. "What am I going to do with you two? Come on, we have shopping to do."

Soon, our arms are filled with bags and packages filled with my school supplies. "Since I can't have a broom, can I at least have a pet?"

"What kind?" Mom asks.

"I was thinking a cat. Cliché, I know, but I bet it will be better than an owl or a toad."

"Are you sure that you can handle the responsibility that comes with owning a pet?"

"Viv, she's going to be gone for almost a year, and cats can basically take care of themselves. I say we let her get one."

Mom purses her lips in thought before sighing. "Okay."

"Yes!" I pump my fist and almost drop my supplies in the process. Mom sighs before taking out her wand and points it at my school supplies, shrinking them. She gathers them out of my hands and sets them in her purse before doing the same with rest.

With my hands now free, I pick up the pace and enter Magical Menagerie. My eyes scan over the various cages before locking on a small movement in the corner. A small black kitten sits in the corner of the cage, facing away from the public.

"You won't be getting anything out of that one." A voice says. I turn to see an employee standing near me. "Poor girl's barely moved since her mum died. All her siblings have been sold. There were a few that were interested in her but she doesn't really take kindly to strangers." She explains.

"Maybe we should look at another one Trini." Dad says.

I look back at the cat before turning to the employee. "Can you open the cage?"

She sighs. "Sure but if I were you, I wouldn't get my hopes up." She flicks through the keyring before finding the one belonging to the cage and unlocking it.

Once the cage is open I reach my hand in, stopping just past the entrance and laying it there. A minute or two passes and the cat has made no movement whatsoever.

"Your father's right. There are other cats here-"

I interrupt my mom with a quiet shushing. After another minute the cat turns toward my hand, revealing striking green eyes. She slowly pads her way over to my hand and sniffs it before nuzzling my palm. I gently begin to pet her small head and she sulks up the attention.

The employee looks on in shock. "She's never done that before."

"She probably watched her siblings be taken away by grabby hands. She just wanted someone to wait for her to come to them." I look at the woman. "Does she have a name?"

She shakes her head. "No, but it's not like we haven't tried. She never answered to anything."

I turn back to the cat. "How about Anastasia? You like that girl?" I scratch behind her ears making her purr in pleasure.

"We'll take her." Mom tells the woman.

"Sure. That'll be seven galleons. Just let me gather up everything you need and she'll be yours."

"Thank you."

I take Anastasia into my hands. "Looks like you're coming home with us girl."

The excitement of the day dies down as mom pops into to Clairborn's Apothecary and we spend several dull hours at the Ministry of Magic.

After that, time seems to fly by and soon I am standing inside platform 9 ¾ getting my trunk situated on the train.

"Gran, I've lost my toad again." I hear a boy say.

"Oh, Neville," An old woman sighs.

Mom hands me the cage holding Anastasia. "Remember it doesn't matter what house you get into. Though I'm sure you'll be quite annoyed should you end up in Slytherin. There are a lot of traditional purebloods in that house."

"Stuck up snobs. All of them." Dad says.

Mom sniffs and pulls me into her arms, taking the cage from my hand and setting it on the ground. "Oh I'm going to miss you. What am I going to do without my little assistant?"

"Be a wonderful potions mistress without half the explosions because of my experimenting?"

"Oh, but that's what makes it fun."

Dad pulls me into a hug as well. "Whatever you do at that school give them hell."

"Oh I'm sure she will." We hear.

I turn around and smile. "Uncle Carter!" I leap into his arms.

He gives a burly laugh and wraps me in a tight hug. "Did you think I'd miss seeing my goddaughter off to Hogwarts?" He sets me back onto the ground. He picks up the cage and hands it to me. "Auror or not, I wouldn't miss this for the world. Now the train will be leaving any minute now."

"One more big hug!" Dad says and the adults all collapse on me in a flurry of hugs and kisses. "Okay, onto the train."

I wave to them before stepping onto the train and going to find my seat. This is it. My life begins now.