Dedicated to Shae Monique Peters
For being the greatest cousin, ever, for supporting me when no one else did, for being my shoulder to cry on and for introducing me to the magical world.
Chapter 1: The Scarlett Engine
In a seemingly normal world, was a seemingly normal town, in this seemingly normal town was a seemingly normal street and on this seemingly normal street, stood seemingly normal houses. This would have been an accurate statement had it not been for No. 19 Appletree Blvd. this was what made the statement inaccurate because No. 19 Appletree Blvd was not a normal house.
Appletree Blvd was known for its beautiful houses (more like mansions if you asked some), green parks, beautiful lakes and magnificent views.
No. 19 Appletree Blvd was the biggest house, located at the highest point of the street, with the best views, right in front of Appletree Park and Appletree Lake. This was all to be expected of No. 19 Appletree Blvd, what wasn't to be expected was that No. 19 Appletree Blvd was a household of magic. It was after all, home to three witches and seven wizards.
The Halestone's were a well-respected family, in both the magical world and the muggle (the non-magical world). Mrs Victoria and Mr Charles Halestone were parents to seven children, sons Michael, William, Flynn, Hunter, Jack and Damien and their only daughter Monique. They of course had their very permanent guest in the form of Aunt Amelia.
They were a very well varied family in terms of their looks.
Charles Halestone was tall and well built. He'd fair skin, sandy blonde hair, stormy grey eyes. He had a sharp jawline and a straight nose. He was also really tall. Being the youngest, he loved to mock his brothers using his height.
Victoria Halestone was on the shorter side. Easily a foot shorter than her husband and her four eldest sons were also taller than her. She was slightly shorter than average height and curvy. She had a dark shade of caramel skin, dark brown eyes and jet black hair which meant she looked a lot like her own mother. The only noticeable difference between the two was the fact that Mrs Halestone was taller.
Their children were a mix of both.
Michael looked like his father, tall, tanned due to his mother's genes. All his brothers and sister had various shades of caramel skin. He had his father's sharp jawline, same straight nose, although unlike his father he had sandy brown hair instead of blonde and he had inherited his paternal grandmothers green eyes.
William took after his mother more. Although he had the sharp jawline and straight nose, that's where the similarities ended. He had caramel skin, bright hazel eyes like his maternal grandfather and jet black hair.
Flynn and Hunter were the troublesome ones. Their looks did nothing to make it look any different. They had a marvellous tan, striking green eyes, sandy blonde hair and wicked grins permanently gracing their faces. They, like their father were well built; the fact that they were beaters on their Quidditch team did nothing to stop their muscles growing. They were also graced with the fathers' height.
Next was Jack. Jack was a bit different. He had lighter blonde hair, he had fairer skin then his siblings, and he was lightly tanned rather than caramel. He had his grandfather's bright blue eyes.
Damien had his fathers' fair skin, his mother's black hair and his fathers' grey eyes. He was tall for his age and well-built compared to most twelve year old boys. He was stocky.
Lastly was Monique. Monique was a short girl, very small standing at 4 feet and 6 inches. She looked very much like her mother. Caramel skin, dark jet black hair that looked brown when the sun hit it, chocolate brown eyes that occasionally went greenish. Very rarely they went grey. Her grandmother always said she was proud of her eyes.
Monique found that baffling. Proud of her eyes? That was like being proud of how pretty her newly bought transfiguration textbook was.
Then there was Aunt Amelia. As old as she was, she still retained her beauty. Something between caramel and creamy was her skin tone, but that was because she rarely spent time in the sun like she used to when she was young. She had sparkly green eyes and almost always was dressed up impeccably with some form of red or gold on her. She was a Gryffindor when she went to Hogwarts. How long ago that was no one knew. Whenever her birthday came around Amelia always said she was old. She never gave an age. All they knew was she reached one of the hundred milestones 34 years ago, or at least that's what she told them. Her grandparents always said she just didn't like feeling old compared to the youthful souls they were.
Today her grandmother and her grandfather were at her house because today was the 1st of September 2017. Today she was going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where all of Britain's magical children went for their schooling. Hogwarts was the reason that the usually averagely noisy household, sounded like World War 3 had broken out.
"MUUUMMMM" hollered a very hungry fifteen year old boy. "I can't find my waffles! Or my Bertie Botts Every Flavoured Beans for that matter!"
"William sweetheart, go check in the kitchen!" Mrs Halestone shouted from her bathroom.
"Mum I'm in the kitchen!" he cried hysterically.
"Look on the table" she screamed.
"It's not on the table!"
"Look again!"
"Mum it's not her-" he stopped. "What the hell, how did she-" he went on but his voice was drained out by another shout.
"Mum where in Merlin's pants are my bloody Quidditch gloves?!" a rather distraught 14 year old Flynn wailed from the bottom of the stairs.
"Flynn! Go ask your brother! You two are always getting things mixed up" she huffed.
Trying to remember where she left her purse she searched her room from top to bottom. Her search was interrupted by more screams.
"Mum!"
"Muuum"
"MUUUMMM"
Taking a deep breathe she pinched the bridge of her nose, she closed her eyes and imagined herself with a bowlful of chocolate and that managed to calm her down. Meanwhile her children were going crazy looking for their mum.
They searched the kitchen, the searched the living room, they searched the study and the gardens, but she was nowhere to be found.
"Right troops, instead of crawling around searching for our mother we should handle this with more maturity" Will said with a nod.
"Muuum!"
"Muuumm!"
"Muummmm!"
Jack, Hunter and Damien all called out one after the other.
"Dad?" Monique asked.
"No Monique, we're searching for- oh hey dad" Jack greeted upon seeing his father in the room.
"Hello son" Charles addressed.
"Hey daddy?" Monique beamed up at her father.
"Yes pumpkin?"
"Where's mum?" demanded Flynn before his sister could say anything.
"Always straight to the point" Grandfather Daniel chuckled.
"Again I find myself asking, where is mum?" Flynn pressed.
"Upstairs dear" Grandmother Persephone smiled warmly.
"Righto then" Hunter nodded.
With that they all rushed to the door only to have their father and grandparents block their way.
"Now, now" their grandmother chided before continuing. "Your other really doesn't need anymore stress today then what she's already received.
"No, I really don't" Victoria Halestone said stepping into their kitchen, retrieved purse in tow. As soon as she finished her sentence, chaos ensued.
After another half hour of hollering, an argument over who's Quidditch gloves were whose, a missing owl, a missing cat and a minor kitchen explosion, the Halestone's were ready to leave for Kings Cross Station. Going through the platform, would be slightly chaotic, no matter, they managed it. They went through oldest to youngest. All went through leaving only Monique and Grandfather Daniel.
Sensing his granddaughters' nerves, he stood directly behind her and put his hands on top of hers which were grasping the trolley handle so tightly her knuckles were white.
"We'll go together" her Grandfather smiled
"One' he began.
"Two" she whispered.
"Three" he finished.
Together they pushed the trolley, when she was half a metre away from the barrier, she squeezed her eyes shut and prepared to be hit by a brick wall but instead passed through the wall. She felt a slight breeze passing through the wall and suddenly she was there. On Platform 9 ¾.
Her grandfather smiled at her and walked to his wife.
She got a good look around; the platform was warm and welcoming. She liked it.
"Monique!" Jack's voice boomed. "Get out of the way of the bloody barrier" he called.
"Someone's going to run her over" Flynn muttered rushing to his sisters' aid. But before he could get to her, Will came and gently pushed her out of the way.
"What would you do without us kiddo?" he asked.
"Have food, more presents, less noise, no-" she began listing.
"We get it" Flynn cut her off.
"You love us but disguise it with complaints" Hunter smirked.
Monique just rolled her eyes.
"Okay everyone gather around" Mrs Halestone called. V
"All of you on your best behaviour this year, right?" she asked.
"Right" the Halestone children chorused.
"Damien?" she said in a reprimanding tone.
"Yes mum" said the twelve year old troublemaker.
"And you'll do all your homework, yes?" their father inquired.
"Yes sir" they all said in sync.
"Hunter?" he asked.
"Yeah, yeah" The 14 year old Gryffindor mumbled.
"And you'll still try to have some fun?" their grandfather asked them
"Yes Grandpa" they said a little happier with the suggestion.
"Fourth year is bound to be fun for us, dontcha think Flynn?" Hunter smirked only to be met with the identical smirk of his brother.
"No fist fights either" Grandmother Persephone warned.
"Yes gran" they chorused once again.
"William, what do you say to that?" she said with a stern gaze.
"Yes ma'am" he saluted.
"And no talking back, attitude and other cheeky comments" said Mrs Halestone. "No letting our tempers get the best of us" she finished.
Suddenly they all turned to Monique.
"I solemnly swear that I'll be good" she huffed.
"Good" Grandmother Persephone smiled. "Now that we all know what to do, let's get you on the train. Don't want you missing it now do we?" she asked.
Everyone laughed. After they said goodbye to their parents and grandparents, they all got their hugs (much to Jack and Damien's chagrin) and a big kiss from their grandmother they all hopped on the train.
"You'll do great" her grandfather assured her.
"You think so?" she asked nervously.
"I know so" he confirmed with a warm smile on his face.
"You're the best Grandpa" she beamed.
"Go get 'em kiddo" Daniel smiled.
"Come on Monique!" Flynn shouted.
"Hand us your trunk will you?" Hunter finished for him.
"We don't need you missing the train" Will smiled.
"Yeah, then you'd have to find a flying car" Damien laughed.
They all laughed.
Everyone knew the stories of Harry Potter.
When he was a baby he defeated a dark wizard called Lord Voldemort with his mother's love and protection when she sacrificed herself for him. He came to Hogwarts in his first year and defeated a bad Professor who was helping Voldemort. In his second year he missed the Hogwarts Express and had to take a flying car to school which belonged to his best friend's dad.
"Come on then, let's go" Jack said helping her onto the train.