A/N Okay, hi everyone! So I'm going to cut to the chase. 1. This fic is rated m for angst, language, violence and all the drama that makes a story worth reading. 2. This isnt going to be a short story, there is too much plot for that. 3. Tell your friends about this fic. Yeah, that seems to be book does not take place during any particular HP book it flows through all of them. Any way I don't own any characters except Kristabeth Gathen and her family. I also own the awesome plot, lol. So EXITED! this is my fist fic.
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It was january eighteenth and ten minutes until midnight. I sat back against the wall on my bed and stared at the clock on my nightstand. In ten minutes I would officially be eleven years old. I don't know why I bothered staying up though, I have nothing to look forward to. I wasn't going to have a party and there was noone to wake me up with a birthday breakfast.
I thought about my mom. She would have done something for my birthday. She would have taken me out for ice cream and bought me three things whatever three things I wanted, that's what she always did. Well from what I can remember.
Seven minutes until midnight. Well it doesn't matter anymore. She's dead and I'm stuck with the worlds drunkest stepfather. I'm sure he doesn't remember it's my birthday, actually unless I'm in the same room with him i'm pretty sure he forgets I even exist.
Three minutes until midnight. Well it doesn't even matter. I don't expect the world to stop just because it's my birthday. And when I wake up tomorrow I'll go to school same as always. Nothing will change.
Midnight. I looked at the the clock it displayed 12:00 in red numbers. Nothing happened. Shocker. I went to the kitchen and fixed a glass of water. I didn't bother keeping quiet, martin my stepfather was out getting drunk somewhere, he wouldn't be back until later.
I made my way back to my room in the dark and laid on the bed. I glanced over at the clock, 12:04. No point in staying up any more. I only had my eyes closed for a few minutes when I heard the tapping. I jumped up looked around, franticly trying to find it's source. Then I saw it right outside of my window. An owl.
It sat perched outside my window. Looking at me and waiting. I walked toward it slowly, afraid of scaring it off. But as I got closer it didn't move. It looked at me expectantly, so I opened the window. I slowly reached out and pet it. It hooted in a way that I believe was supposed to be appreciative.
I glanced down and saw the package under it's talons. I reached out to grab the package and the owl flew away, leaving me alone in the dark once again. The box had a letter attached to it so I picked it up and written across the envelope was a name, my name, Kristabeth Gathen.
I didn't understand, why would there be a letter for me? And more importantly why was it brought to me by an owl? But I opened it anyway and I began to read.
Dearest Kristabeth, my beautiful child,
if your reading this then I'm no longer hear. I am truly sorry but this is not a time for apologies and sadness. You should be happy. Kristabeth you are something special, you are a witch and so was I. I know you quite understand but you will. You might have ready started to show signs of magic soon. If you don't that's okay too. I didn't do any show a sign of magic until I picked up a wand. I don't know how to explain everything because its a lot to take in. I want to be there to help you understand. There is a whole other world out there and I want to teach you about it, so the best thing I could come up with was to send you my old books. I have arranged for them to be sent to you one at a time. The book in the package with this letter is called Hogwarts: a history. Hogwarts is a school. It will teach you about magic and so much more. I attended Hogwarts when I was young and you will too. You should receive your acceptance letter to Hogwarts sometime during summer. Until then read all the books I have given you. I'm looking at you right now as im writing this, you're drawing something at the table I'm not sure but I think it's a flower. You're so beautiful and I know you're going to make a wonderful witch.
Love, mom
A witch? Was this a joke? And a letter from my mom who died when I was eight. But there was noone who hated me enough to quite a fake letter and get a tame owl to send it. Well except Martin but he was nowhere near smart enough to carry out a sick plan like this.
I wouldn't ask myself if this was real because the answer to that was simple, it wasn't I wouldn't believe that. I looked down at the package and debated opening it. It could still be a prank because the letter didn't make sense but curiosity won out and I open the package. Besides packages don't bite.
I looked at the cover for exactly one minute reading the title several times over. The book was exactly what the letter said it was, sitting in my lap was Hogwarts: a history. The book was rather thick but not extremely so.
CLICK. SLAM. Oh crap, Martin is home early. I shoved the letter in the envelope and slid it and the book under the bed. I slid under the covers and pretended to be asleep. I knew he wasn't going to come and check on me but I wasn't going to drag attention to myself. I heard him staggering around trying to get to his room. When I heard his door shut I sighed and relaxed. A few minutes later I was asleep.
The next day I woke up to the sound of my alarm clock. I jumped up to get ready for school and somewhere in between scarfing down cereal and pulling on my socks I started to remember last night. I looked under the bed and the book and letter was still there. I took my history book out of my back and put the Hogwarts book in. I could read in history class. My teacher wouldn't notice and technically speaking I would still be reading a history book.
The book was amazing, it spun an amazing tale of a school that taught magic and the four houses that resided in that school. It told of four founders and of several classes that are taken at the school and when they were added.
The most amazing thing though were the pictures that displayed a huge castle, a large dining hall, amazing lake and so much more. I had read about half of it and skimmed through most of it by the Time the bus dropped me off at home. I looked at the clock it was 3:30, right on time. I went and fix myself a glass of milk a granola bar.
When I finished eating I plopped down on the couch and open Hogwarts: a history. I continued reading where I left off. Out of the corner of my I saw something move but when I looked over at the page I saw movement on, it was just the picture of the lake. I looked at it for a second then i saw it, the trees swaying in the wind and the water moving in the breeze.
I saw this picture at school and it definitely had not moved then. But maybe that was why, because I was at school. The book had told of how the school could not be seen by most non magic people unless they were supposed to see it. But all of this was too good to be true, too perfect. A magical boarding school where I could be away from Martin for most of the year and learn magic. Yeah right.
I turned to a chapter about the house called hufflepuff. I looked at the picture of the common room and allowed my eyes to sweep over the page a few times then I noticed the fire place in the picture. In it a fire twisted and moved. I continued reading and looking at the pictures and reading until I heard the click that sounded when the door was being unlocked.
I glanced at the clock it was 4:37. Martin didn't get off work until seven. But when the door open there he stood.
"What are you doing home so early", I asked.
"None of your damn business", he retorted.
I should have seen that coming. Martin likes to believe he answers to no one.
He walked over to the fridge and grabbed a beer and popped it open with his teeth. That could not be safe. He walked over to the couch across from me and sat down. He kept drinking and watching me, I chose to read and pretend it didn't bother me.
"What are you reading", he asked?
"A book."
"Don't get smart with me you little bitch, I asked you a question, I expect an answer."
"My history book", I lied, "I'm trying to study."
"Why", he asked.
"So I can make good grades."
"You don't need good grades", he said. "Your not going anywhere that needs good grades and you sure as hell not going to college." That's it, isn't?" You think your'e going to college", He started to chuckle, "well in that case you have a whole other thing coming to you little one."
"What am I supposed to do then", I ask confused. What did he expect me to do? drop out and get a job? knowing him that seems like a possible answer.
"Your going to stay here", he said. I didn't say a thing, just looked at him. I quickly turned back to my book. The picture had stop moving. I kept reading and after a few minutes Martin got up. He went to his roomed, changed out his work clothes and left.
He's probably getting a head start on drinking himself insane. I sighed and continued reading and right when Martin left the pictures began moving once more. I fell asleep on the couch and woke at 11:23 and walked to my room. I turned on the radio and sat on the bed retracing the letter that my mom supposedly wrote in her last year of life.
I sat on the bed and stared at the window. I wondered if more books would come as the letter said. So I kept watching the window and waited. I turned off my light so I would see through the window and I waited and waited and waited. Then at 12:08 there it was, the little brown owl.
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A/N okay I know this chapter was kind of short but I needed something to lure you in ;). Anyway this story may seem a bit cliche at first but it does get better. Soon you will get to vote on what happens next.
Here is a small thing you can vote on plus its also a spoiler: who would you rather come to Kristabeth house? I was thinking of doing the whole hagrid thing but I will consider Mcgonnigal if anyone wants, plus it would be fun to see how she puts up with Martin. So review and let me know.
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