Disclaimer: I do not own, and sadly never will own the Harry Potter universe, or any of its characters - Leda, however is a work of my own imagination. So hands off.

A short note to start:

I haven't written fanfiction for a very long time, and never for Harry Potter - but once this idea popped up in my head, I just couldn't ignore it.
Most events in my work are canon, as you will see in time. I hope you enjoy reading this fic as much as I enjoy writing it.

Kat x

THIRD TIME LUCKY
Chapter 1

"These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume."

William Shakespeare - Romeo and Juilet

The end of August arrived like a skilled thief – almost imperceptibly. Leda woke with smile on her face which, as Grindelwald's Revolution raged on, was a rare occurrence indeed. Sunlight was pouring into her bedroom, drenching everything in warm gold – she would be sad to leave. She cast her eyes around the room, and they came to rest on the mulberry coloured satin trunks that sat by the door.

Today she would be going to Scotland. Tomorrow she would be enrolling at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, leaving behind everything and everyone she knew. Leda felt nervous; she hadn't been to school in two years, not since she had to leave Beauxbatons. A voice in the back of her mind said that this would be different, and she chose to believe it. Her home in Herault was an impressive one– her father's potion services were unmatched by any other Potions Master in the south of France, and he had earned a pretty penny from it. Leda sat up in her bed and blinked a few times, before rubbing her sleepy eyes. Yes, this time would be different.

While getting dressed, she absently recalled that today was her fifteenth birthday – not that it mattered much anyway. Everyone knows seventeen in the big one. She made her way downstairs to the dining room, where her favourite breakfast – French toast, of course – was already placed at her seat on the old sandalwood table. The knot in the pit of her stomach made it difficult to eat, so after a few pitiful bites, she went to go find her parents.

They were outside the house on the gravel, talking to the elderly wizard who had created the portkey that would take her to Scotland. Roger, she recalled his name being. "And you're certain she will get there safe?" she heard her father press, browbeating the poor old man. Farook Malfadine was a strange man – very eccentric, and very brave in that he left everything he knew and everyone he loved to be with a muggleborn woman.

He was the ultimate disappointment and a blood traitor in the eyes of the Malfadine family, but to Leda and her mother, he was everything.
Elena, Leda's mother, was a quiet woman, but very loving, and fiercely loyal – traits Leda seemed to have inherited. Leda's parents had attended Hogwarts themselves, and had assured her several times that it was very different to Beauxbatons, and that she wouldn't run into any trouble there. She walked out to greet her small family and was met with the usual warm smiles that she would miss tomorrow. A sharp crack sounded out and before her was her house elf, Fletty, with Leda's trunks in tow, and a forlorn look in her eyes.

She crouched down to the elf's height, and gave a gentle request. "Don't be sad Fletty – I'll be back in the summer, hopefully. You won't even notice me gone."
She looked up at her parents for some confirmation of this fact, and saw the uncertainty that lingered on their faces. She pretended she had not noticed, and looked back to the little elf, who now had tears in her eyes. In her high-pitched squeak of a voice, she declared to Leda, "Fletty is missing Miss Leda very much already."
A pitiful smile etched itself on Leda's face, as she reached over to hug her. Standing now, she said goodbye to her parents too – nothing too long or depressing, because she didn't want to cry, not today.

Farook cleared his throat and blinked back his own tears. Swallowing thickly, he took a deep breath before addressing Leda. "My darling. You know we love you very much, don't you? This is for the best." He delved into his pocket and pulled out a long blue box that had a thin white ribbon holding the lid on it. Farook looked much older than his 56 years as placed it in her palm.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart."

Leda gave the string a small tug, and opened the box. Inside was a delicate gold chain, with a dainty charm - the sign of Gemini – attached to it.

"It was my mother's... I wanted you to have something to remember us by," said Elena. "I charmed it – so that you would know if anything happens to us..."

She trailed off, clearly not wanting to go into too much detail about what 'anything' might be. The thought of something terrible happening to her parents sobered Leda. While they had tried their best to cushion her from the reality of war, the time was fast approaching where the whole wizarding world would be forced to acknowledge just how dangerous the Revolution had become.

She held the delicate chain in her hands for a moment.

"Thank you. It's beautiful." She dropped the necklace into her pocket, and said her goodbyes again.

With a final glance back at her parents, she plucked the portkey off of the plush cushion the old man had placed it on. It glowed an ethereal blue in her hand, and she felt a familiar tug in her navel before the faces of her family disappeared from view.

She arrived in Hogsmeade, a place she had only been once before, when she was much younger. She made her way to the Three Broomsticks, as her father had instructed her to. A stout man with a red face stood behind the counter, wiping glasses with a white flannel, who Leda took to be the owner.
As she approached the counter, he beamed. "Well hello there, young lady! Are you my new guest - from France, yes?"

Leda gave a small smile and replied "Yes, I've come from France – I think was your friend who arranged the portkey."

A knowing look crossed his face. Nodding, he replied, "Ah yes, you met Roger then. Good man, he is. Known him since we was at Hogwarts together. Well, my name is Pollonus Fletcher," he said, extending a fleshy hand to her, which she shook.

"And over there is my nephew, Reggie", he said, pointing to a handsome young man serving luncheon to patrons of the pub. Glancing around the room, Leda noticed that it was a cozy establishment, the walls practically radiating a homely atmosphere.

"Nice to meet you, Mr Fletcher, my name is Leda. Leda Malfadine," she replied politely.

She prepared herself for the surprise that accompanies people's voices when they hear her surname.

"Oh, none of that Mr Fletcher business, it's Pollonus."

After a moment of deliberation, he enquired, "Malfadine, eh? Curious name, that. Malfadine," he said, drawing out the syllables.

"My father's family hails from the Middle East, you see," Leda explained, repeating the line she had told many others before.

Pollonus' eyes widened with excitement, and he grinned as he began to tell her tales of wizards who had crossed the world and had stayed at his inn.
After probing out some more information about her life, Pollonus called over his nephew, "Reggie, show this nice young lady up to her room," he said, lifting a small key off of the board behind him, that held a dozen or so similar looking ones.

Leda breathed a sigh of relief - the man was clearly very kind, but it had been a while since Leda had had any contact with people other than her family - she evidently needed to work on her social skills. Yes, I really do need to work on my social skills, if I'm ever going to fit in to a school where everyone is already friends, she thought grudgingly. She cringed upon the realisation that at the Sorting, there would be hundreds of eyes on her.

Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to Pollonus.
Reggie can help you with your trunks," he informed her, before frowning upon the realisation that she didn't have any with her.
Noticing his confusion, she pulled the shrunken trunks out of her pocket and explained with a hint of annoyance in her voice, "I'm enrolled at Hogwarts now, and the British Ministry of Magic has put a Trace on me, so I can't unshrink them myself without getting into trouble." She hated this. At home, she could use magic for anything, without any restrictions - one perk of being home-schooled.

"Well, I suppose that makes carrying them up a whole lot easier!" Reggie joked, laughing to reveal rows of pearly white teeth.
It was a warm, hearty laugh, and clearly one that was contagious, as she found herself laughing along with him. Upon reaching her room, Reggie did indeed unshrink her trunks and gave her another friendly smile before leaving her to settle in. She stole another glance at him as he was leaving - she didn't want him to think she was staring - and thought to herself that he was rather good looking. Tall, but not lanky, and he had floppy fair hair - a sharp contrast to Leda's raven waves. What she found most attractive though, were his eyes - a lively, clear blue, which held nothing but happiness in them.

It was now that she was completely alone, that Leda felt the melancholy engulf her mind and settle into her bones, making them heavy, and making her feel much older than just fifteen. It was an inexplicable kind of sadness, which only few could understand. Nothing caused it, therefore, nothing could fix it. Leda sighed.

I'm tired of feeling this way.

Before she could completely descend into the familiar loneliness, a sharp rap on the door drew her from her troubled thoughts. On the other side of the door stood a tall wizard, dressed in peculiar lilac robes, with a fiery beard and gleaming sapphires for eyes. It was Albus Dumbledore, who introduced himself as Head of Gryffindor and Teacher of Transfiguration at Hogwarts.

After settling on the small sofa in her room, and making pleasantries, he "Now, Miss Malfadine, you are going through a difficult time, I understand," he spoke softly, and his light eyes held her dark ones - his eyes were full of unwanted sympathy, but she found it difficult to look away from the older wizard's heavy stare.

"I implore you – at any time, should you need my help, or if you simply wish to talk to someone – my door will always be open." He then explained further about the Sorting, and the Houses – all of which her parents had already told her, but she felt it impolite to interrupt. "Now, tomorrow afternoon, I will come here to collect you and take you to Hogwarts – you will meet with the Headmaster, and then we shall go to the Great Hall for the Sorting! It really is such fun," he sighed contentedly.

Apparently, Dumbledore was caught up in his own thoughts, as for a while now, he had not said anything, and simply gazed at the wall with furrowed brows, clearly seeing something Leda was not privy to.

Leda coughed pointedly to draw him back from his reverie, and he cleared his throat, slightly embarrassed. He reminded her once more, "4pm, sharp," before leaving Leda's room – but not without flashing Leda a bright smile. "Don't worry, dear. You will be just fine."

How she hoped he was right.

AN:

WELL, I finally uploaded the first chapter! Bit of a slow start, I know, but things will pick up in the next chapter.
I hope you enjoyed reading it, and will continue to do so! Leave a review (CC always welcome).