Orphans

Ch.1 Christmas Eve

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter it belongs to J.K. Rowling. Lyrics courtesy of Loreena McKinnet

AN: I was working on ch.3 when I realized that this story wouldn't work if I started things in sixth year, so it has to be an AU ootp. Ch.1 is the same, but I had to change ch.2 a bit.

The dpt. Of mysteries scene won't be for a while so I'll let yall vote: does Sirius Live or die?

I walk the streets of Dublin town

It's 1842

Its snowing on this Christmas Eve

Think I'll beg another bob or two

I'll huddle in this doorway here

Til someone comes along

If the lamplighter comes real soon

Maybe I'll go home with him

Anne drew her ragged coat closer to her slender form. The Ministry had sent her yet another letter about how they were coming to snap her wand for underage magic. They had to find her fist, one good thing about being homeless; one could pick up and leave at any given moment. Some people had loads of valuables that they could not bear to part with, not her. All she needed in life was her old army coat, knapsack full of old schoolbooks, and her wand. She had hoarded precious Galleons and bought her wand honestly, the books she got from the dumpster behind Flourish and Botts when the bookstore deemed the books to old to sell. Snow was slowly turning her black hair white. Best find a place to sleep. People will be going to Christmas Eve mass soon, wouldn't want to remind them that there are people worse off than them now would I? That should do nicely. She had noticed an old run-down house with a nice deep doorway that should provide her with plenty of protection from the weather. If I'm lucky the door will be rotted out and I can get in the house. When she reached the door she could not open it sans magic and she wasn't about to give up a good spot by having to run again. She propped the knapsack up as a pillow and huddled up to go to sleep. She had just dozed when a startled epithet jerked her awake. She turned quickly to face the source of her disturbance it was a tall dark haired man in robes.

"What in the hell are you doing here?!", he exclaimed.

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry sir, I was just looking for a place to sleep, I'll leave I-"

"Leave? I'm afraid not, miss, you chose a bad place to sleep. You'll have to come in with me.", he replied.

Anne pulled her wand and said, "I didn't want to do this but-"

"Expelliarmus.", he said almost lazily. "Now please come quietly miss, I assure no harm will be done to you if you do." With that he rapped on the door with his wand. In a few moments the door opened.

Anne didn't see how she had a choice so she followed him in. The door was closed quickly behind her. The woman that had opened the door for them efficiently re-bolted and locked the door. When she turned to face them Anne saw that she had a heart shaped face and the pinkest hair she had ever seen.

The woman frowned and said, "Who's this?"

The man answered, "It seems that our wards are not as infallible as we thought, she was using the doorway as a bed."

"Muggle?", pink hair asked.

Anne opened her mouth to protest but the man said, "Witch I'm assuming, she pulled a wand on me." The woman nodded and disappeared for a few moments behind a door. She reemerged and motioned for them to follow her. When Anne came out on the other side of the door she was met by a large group of people. A man gestured for her to take a seat at the long wooden table. Clutching her knapsack she complied.

The man across from her was gaunt and had graying brown hair even though he looked fairly young. He was the first to speak, "You've caused quite a stir breaking through our wards like you did, how did you do it?"

Anne bristled, "I don't have to explain myself to you, I don't know anything about you, not even your names. I was just minding my own business and then he comes up and drags me in here.", she said pointing at her captor.

"My apologies," he replied courteously, "I'm Remus, we were just wondering how you managed to find this house and get on the property that's all."

Something about this man reassured her, "I'm Anne, I just wanted a place to sleep. It wasn't exactly hard to find the house, a big hulking wreck looks pretty conspicuous between two nice houses. I just walked up, I thought the place was abandoned otherwise I would have kept going."

At this point a tall dark skinned man rose and went into the entrance way. About five minutes later he came back in and said, "The wards are all intact."

Remus looked confused for a moment then something seemed to click. He asked, "What is your full name, Anne?"

She eyed him for a while and finally said, "Annabelle Madeline Black."

Maybe I can find a place to call my home

Maybe I can find a home to call my own

An: Should I continue?

RR