So this is my new story, that is putting Without Paddy on huge slow down , but I personally think that it's better than Without Paddy. Much more original at least. Also this is my first Hunger Games fic so I hope it isn't too bad!

Big thanks to my Beta reader Comingsummers.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the Hunger Games they belong to Jk Rowling and Suzanne Collins respectively.

Chapter 1

Today marks my last day of primary school. Scratch that, it's my last day of school, ever. People from the Seam only stay in school until they're 11, after that they do whatever they can to make make money for their families. Being an only child with no mother I must work extra hard to help my Dad, but with no special skills and since I'm not really great with people, I will most likely end up begging fruitlessly for scraps on the side of the street.

"Lily!" I hear a shout from behind me and twist round to face my best friend Sophia.

"I've been calling you for ages, but you've been like totally zoned out. What's up?" Sophia is a pretty merchant girl with long blonde hair and bright blue eyes, her family is rich and its easy to see it in the way she dresses. Unless some amazing twist of fate occurs she'll be in school until she's 16.

"Sorry, I was just thinking... this being my last day of school and everything." I shrug and turn away from her. I desperately want her life, I would love to be in school for 5 more years, but unless I want to starve that's not an option.

"Oh, I totally forgot. I'm sorry," Sophia's pretty face twists with guilt, pity and something else; relief maybe? She must be thankful that she's not in my shoes. Or maybe its disgust? That I simply can't afford a full education. Whatever it is, it puts me on edge.

"No it's fine, I've known this was coming since I started," I try to mask my disappointment, I need to make this last day a good one. After all Sophia and I aren't going to be friends much longer. After today she will go to the posh merchant secondary school that I wasn't clever enough to get a scholarship to, and I will be a scabby Seam beggar girl.

As we approach the gates I can hear the excited chatter of the merchant children waiting to go to their next school. They all stand together chatting about Crossbridge High, and their cute pinstriped navy blazers. Whilst just meters from them is a huddle of sad looking Seam children discussing how they are going to prevent starving to death before their 16th birthdays.

"Look I-" Sophia gestures to the merchants and I know what she's thinking; our separation is already starting.

"Just go. I need to talk to Layla about something anyway," I look towards a dark haired girl standing with the other Seam children.

That's all the invitation my best friend needs, and she scoots off clutching her Crossbridge enrollment letter in her right hand. How did I miss that it was there the entire time? Maybe I just didn't want to notice it and accept that she has everything I want and will never have.

I sigh and cross the playground towards the sad looking Seam pupils, staring wistfully at the richer children across the playground.

After 15 minutes of idle chit chat with other students the first bell rings, and we all trudge into our year 6 classrooms for the last time.

0o0o

"RING" The sound of the final bell reverberates across the entire school premises. Signalling for some the end of their limited education, but for the others the start of an even better one.

Sophia grabs my arm "Come on, we're having a year 6 celebration in the park. You're invited," She says it playfully, but I know what she means. The merchants are having a celebration, and Sophia has decided to let me tag along like a sad little puppy, but I don't need her pity anymore. We've left school, and I have to do this on my own.

I promised myself this when I first started, I promised myself that on the last day of school as much as it hurt I would let Sophia go, she has a successful and perfect life stretching ahead of her she doesn't need a pathetic little Seam girl dragging her down and holding her back.

"Sorry, Dad said I have to go straight home. Have a good summer, and I guess a good time at Crossbridge," I shrug and turn away, signifying the end of our friendship. She gets the message. Hurt flashes across her face briefly, but she quickly composes herself, shrugs, and runs off in the direction of the park to have a good time without me.

I sigh, and when I'm sure she's gone, turn back to look at my quaint little primary school for the last time before starting the 20 minute long walk home.

0o0o

"Dad! I'm home!" I shout into our little box house as I step across the threshold. The house wasn't locked. It never is, simply because we can't afford a lock. It doesn't matter anyway, there isn't anything worth stealing here.

The sound of the stairs creaking echo's around the house, signalling my Dad coming downstairs. I grin, nothing puts a smile on my face like Regulus Black. I love my Dad more than anything in the world.

"Hey there Lily flower, how was school?" He asks, pulling me into a large bear hug.

"Not bad, Sophia was really excited about Crossbridge, so we didn't spend much time together," I whisper my voice thick with emotion.

"You'll just have to make new friends then, won't you flower?" My Dad pulls away from me, wiping away the tears that have made tracks down my face. I make a disbelieving noise at the back of my throat that make's my Dad smile. "A letter came for you honey" he says, leading me into the cramped back room.

"For me? Are you sure?" I ask frowning. I don't get post; after all who is there to send me any?

"I'm sure. It's on the table," He gestures to a cream coloured envelope that's sat on the chipped wooden table. It looks posh, too posh for me at least . "Just open it," My Dad sighs when he see's me eyeing it with apprehension. I reach for it, and close my fingers around the silky envelope on the front are the words:

Miss Elizabeth Black

6 Beckett Road

District 12

Panem

written in fancy script. Apart from the lack of a postage stamp it looks real enough. I quickly turn it over and break the red seal at the back in order to pull out a very fancy looking letter reading:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY.

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc.,Chf Warlock,

Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Black,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment

Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress.

Questions exploded in my head, Wizardry? 1st September? What the hell is going on?

"I-" My voice is scratchy, yet I have no idea why.

My Dad holds up a hand to halt my questions, "Look when I was 11 I got a letter very similar to yours, only I was expecting it. My parents had been Wizards and made no attempt at hiding it, quite the opposite, in fact. They were very proud of it. I went to this school…. Hogwarts," He gestured to the name on the top of the short letter. "until I was 18, and quite ready to move on. Only at the time I was leaving school there was a war, a very dangerous war that most thought was far from finished. During that war I-I made some serious mistakes, and when I tried to go back on them it put me in a lot of danger, and I knew i had to get out. So I did," He pauses allowing me to speak.

"Why didn't you tell me about it?" I ask, hurt clear in my voice.

My Dad doesn't quite answer my questions, instead he carries on with his explanation. "I was very young when I found out your mother was pregnant, and I chose to ignore it and come out here anyway. So when your mother was killed her mother sent you here to live with me. I knew we were both in danger, and I decided to let you think you were a totally normal kid. At least until the inevitable happened, and you got your letter," My Dad finishes, making eye contact with me for the first time since I opened the letter.

I sit in silence for a while, contemplating what I'd been told, before saying "So where is this Hogwarts?"

My Dad blinks in surprise that this would be my first question. "Uh Scotland, in the UK," He mutters.

My eyes widen "You're British…. I'm British and you didn't think to tell me this!" I exclaim jumping up from the rickety chair my Dad had dumped me in .

"Well yeah but-" My Dad started staring at me with a puzzled expression on his face.

"No Dad this is brilliant, I can get out of here! I can go somewhere where I'm not treated like scum by people the same age as me, what could possibly be bad about this?" I laugh.

"I don't know Flower, I don't know," He laughs faintly pulling me into another hug.

So that's chapter one. What do you guys think? I know it's not great, as it's only chapter one so we haven't got to the exciting part yet, but what do you think of this as an idea?

Review please :)