hello! Author here. This is the first story I've ever put on any site. Pretty much AU with OCs, LGBTQ+, and magic awesomeness. Please be kind and comments are always welcome :)

thanks all,

Emi

(JK ROWLING IS QUEEN AND ALL THIS IS HERS. Except for three OCs but anyway)

Part One: Fifth Year

Chapter One: Irene

The cold night air blew lazily through the cracked window, causing the tawny owl to ruffle its feathers. One eye slowly opened and looked over at its owner. The sleeping girl simply rolled over, deep in dreams. Satisfied that his owner was safe and well, the owl closed its eye again, only to be jerked back awake by a scream.

"Cedric!"

The girl bolted upright in her bed, breathing hard. The owl hooted softly in comfort, but the girl simply lay back down, sobbing. The owl nudged its cage door open and flew down next to its weeping master.

"I'm sorry, Taron...did I wake you?" The girl hiccuped, gently running her fingers through the owls feathers. "It's just another nightmare..."

Taron hooted softly. He knew his master was sad and hurt, but he didn't know how to help. A moment later there was a knock at the door and a man poked his head in.

"Irene, dear. Are you all right?"

"Yes, Uncle Amos. Sorry I woke you."

"It's alright...well, try to get some rest. Love you."

"Love you too," Irene whispered as her uncle closed the door. She lay back down on her bed and closed her eyes, still running her fingers through Taron's feathers.

"I'm leaving for the Burrow tomorrow...hopefully...hopefully these nightmares will stop then."

Taron ruffled his feathers and closed his eyes. He would always be there for her when the nightmares came.

—

Irene struggled into the living room with her luggage in tow, her uncle following her with Taron's cage. She had already sent Taron to the Burrow early this morning with a letter addressed to Ron telling him to expect her around lunch.

"Now don't forget your key! Here, you won't be able to get into Gringotts without it. Do you have all your robes? Leave any homework or books?"

Irene chuckled.

"Yes, aunt. Don't worry, I'll be fine." She gave her aunt a kiss on the cheek. "The Weasley's invited me over for Christmas since Harry will be there too, so you won't have to worry bout that. You have a nice vacation, alright?"

Anna Diggory hugged her niece and smiled back.

"Yes, dear. Don't forget to write."

"Irene!" Amos called, "Don't forget Ced's-your...your broom." Irene's uncle walked into the room and gave Irene the Firebolt.

"Oh...thanks, Uncle." Irene gave him a quick peck on the cheek and a long hug, before situating herself in the fireplace. Double checking to make sure she had everything, she took a handful of green powder from her aunt, threw it into the fireplace and firmly stated,

"The Burrow!"

The familiar twisting feeling occurred, and Irene felt herself being sucked along a pipe before being deposited, rather unsteadily, in a different fireplace. She blinked a couple times, taking in her new surroundings. The patchwork quilts across the long couch, the knitting needles working away above an empty rocker, and of course, the ruckus noise of six Weasleys.

"Hello?" Irene called into the empty room, dragging out her unwieldy luggage case and dropping Taron's cage in the process. "Oh, bloody hell," she muttered, bending down to pick it up, only to have her Firebolt fall also. She groaned and picked both up, only to find them being taken from her grasp.

"Blimey, Irene. Didn't even notice you came in."

"Just get here? Wait a sec, is that a Firebolt! Last year you had a Nimbus!"

Fred and George Weasley had taken her things and were now gazing appreciatively at her Firebolt.

"Hey, boys!" She grinned mischievously. "How's it been so far?" George winked and Fred tapped the end of his nose.

"We'll tell you all about the triple W later." Fred whispered.

"Yeah, mums in a right state, trying to get everything ready to go to the HQ." George explained. "We're just waiting for Hermione at the moment."

"What about, Harry?" Irene asked.

"Dumbledore wants him to stay at the Dursley's for the summer-" Fred started.

"But mum won't tell us why." George finished, answering Irene's next question.

"Irene? Is that you, dear?" Molly Weasley called out from the kitchen. She bustled around the corner, wiping her hands on her apron before giving Irene a long hug. "Oh it's so good to see you, dear. Ron's upstairs packing, and Ginny's in the kitchen. If you just want to set your stuff over here, it'll be out of the way."

Irene set her luggage in the corner and Fred and George put down her cage and Firebolt.

"Boys, bring your luggage down and then we can all have lunch. Tell Ron to hurry up!" She called after the twins as they bolted up the stairs. Molly glanced out the window and suddenly was off again. "Hermione! So glad to see you..." Irene passed by the doorway, waving to her friend. She continued into the kitchen where she saw Ginny putting together sandwiches as the pitcher poured pumpkin juice into several cups.

"Hey, Ginny!" Irene greeted.

"Irene!" The two girls hugged. "How are you?" The red-haired girl looked searchingly into Irene's eyes.

"I'm fine..." she lied, then, when Ginny raised an eyebrow, she conceded. "Well, you know...I'm doing okay. I'll tell you and 'Mione bout it later, kay?"

Ginny looked unconvinced, but was reluctantly distracted when Irene showed her the Firebolt.

"Oh, let's have a go!" Ginny would've rushed outside, but Molly reappeared with Hermione in tow.

"Hermione!" both girls said happily, hugging their friend.

"Hello, Irene, Ginny. What's that? Oh, a Firebolt, like Harry's. That's very nice, how'd you get it?"

Irene's smile fell slightly.

"It was Ced's. Uncle Amos wanted me to have it..."

Before Ginny or Hermione could reply, Molly had shouted for the rest of the Weasley's to come down for lunch.

Having been told about Percy by Ron and Ginny already, Irene wasn't surprised to see that he wasn't at the table. She was surprised however to see Bill Weasley.

"Hiya, Irene. Good to see ya." Bill greeted as he sat down. He looked the same as he had when he'd come to Hogwarts last year. His hair was pulled back into a pony tail, and the dragon fang still hung from his ear.

"Hi, Bill," Irene replied quietly, blushing slightly. Bill was very good looking, and Irene had always had a slight crush on him. Suddenly, she was pulled into a side hug by Ron.

"Hey Irene and Hermione," Ron said before sitting down and helping himself to the food. "Been here long?"

The table settled into an easy conversation, Irene and Hermione each telling what they had been up to. It had only been two weeks since they had last seen each other, so there wasn't much to catch up on. After lunch, Mrs. Weasley set everyone to work cleaning up the dishes and clearing the kitchen. Irene let the Weasleys all have a go on her Firebolt, before they had to come back to finish cleaning the Burrow. When night had fallen, Arthur Weasley, Mad Eyed Moody, and Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared, and several minutes later, everyone was sitting on the Knight Bus.

Irene watched the scenery pass with alarming speed.

"I've never liked the Knight Bus much," she admitted to Hermione. "Makes me...nauseous."

"I can see why," Hermione replied, holding a hand to her mouth.

"Coming up on London! Grimmauld Place!" Stan Shunpike bellowed.

The bus jerked to a sudden stop and they all hurried off. Mad Eyed Moody passed around a scrap of paper to everyone.

"Memorize it quickly," he muttered.

Irene looked down and memorized the contents.

"Now, think very hard about what you just read."

Irene closed her eyes and concentrated hard on the words.

The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number 12 Grimmauld Place...

—

"Dang it! How many of these things can there be?!" Irene brandished a broomstick (a cleaning one that is), while Hermione was armed with a spray bottle of Doxycide and Ron manned the bucket.

"Irene! Another one!" Hermione screeched. A black pixie squirmed out of the fireplace in the kitchen and flew for the doorway. Irene whacked it out of the air, and Ron hastily ran with the bucket. The unconscious pixie fell in with a great kerplunk.

"Score!" Ron said, his words muffled by the handkerchief he wore over his mouth.

Irene, Hermione, and Ron had been given the job of clearing the fireplace of soot pixies. Molly and Ginny were taking care of the bathrooms and upstairs and Fred and George were also in the kitchen, cleaning the stove and oven. Number 12 Grimmauld Place, while being an excellent hiding place for the order, was far from being actually liveable. Sirius Black had made considerable headway in the upstairs bedrooms, but nearly everywhere else still needed cleaning. In the last couple weeks since they had been there, the parlor had been thoroughly scrubbed, the halls had been cleaned, and nearly all the offensive portraits of the Black family had been removed. Only the large portrait of Mrs. Black remained, much to Sirius's displeasure.

"Alright, Hermione, one more spray." Irene said.

Hermione cautiously went up to the fireplace and, holding the spray bottle put in front of her like a gun, shot up inside the chimney. She stepped back quickly, and the two last pixies flew out, one very angry, the other very dazed.

Irene quickly punted the angry pixie straight into Ron's bucket. The dazed pixie flew lazily towards Hermione, who bonked it on the head with the end of her spray bottle.

I wonder if we can get our hands on a couple of those pixies... Fred thought-or was it George?

"No, boys." Irene said aloud.

"What? We didn't say anything!"

Dammit! Irene thought. Hermione and Ron looked at her a bit worried. She shook her head slightly. Not now, later.

"Aha! But you were thinking it. At least wait till we leave, so your mum won't suspect us either." Irene laughed.

The twins grinned at her then went back to work at the stove. Irene, Hermione, and Ron took off their handkerchiefs and walked out of the kitchen stopping to put away their supplies. After telling Molly that they were finished and going to work on homework, they all went into Ron's room.

"Alright, what happened down there?" Ron asked.

"It happened again!" Irene said exasperatedly and fell down on the spare bed. "All last year I took Occulumency lessons. I had really gotten the hang of it. But every once and a while the odd thought slips through."

"Well, Dumbledore didn't have expect you to have full control of it, did he?" asked Hermione.

Irene flicked her bangs out of her eyes.

"No...but I thought-I dunno. I just wish I didn't hear people's thoughts. It's not as bad as it used to be..." Irene struggled not to shiver.

Irene was born a Legilimens. When she was younger, the thoughts had come into her mind constantly. She'd answer thoughts or say them out loud. She got a reputation in her hometown for being strange and had no friends. Her parents kept her hidden for her safety, and the only other people she had contact with was Uncle Amos, Aunt Anna, and most importantly, her cousin Cedric.

He was her only friend and sibling. And when her parents had died when she was nine, he had been her only comfort.

Irene felt a hand on her shoulder, and realized she had closed her eyes and was holding back tears. She opened her eyes and looked at Hermione, whose eyes were also filled with tears. Ron was sitting on the other side of Hermione, looking a little awkward, but attentive.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." She wiped her eyes quickly. "I just..." she sighed. "I just got blindsided by that..." and then in an effort to change the subject, looked at the mirror hanging in the room. "You know," she walked across the room, "I think I want something new..." She saw Hermione in the mirror, and knew the conversation wasn't over, but Hermione put a smile on and asked,

"What kinda new?"

"Whatcha think, Ron? What color?"

He laid across the bed and grinned.

"Something completely different. Um…short, and oh! Phoenix…"

Irene cocked her head to one side, gazing at her reflection. Her blue eyes and long curly blonde hair had been fashioned after Cedric. They had already been very similar in looks, so when Irene had changed her eye and hair color, many people had asked if they were twins. Now, the look was too painful. Concentrating hard on what she wanted, Irene stared at her face. Freckles spread across her nose and cheek bones. Her hair grew short, not even brushing her shoulders.

"Phew…okay, now for the color. It can hurt a bit when I try to do too much at once."

"I wish I was a Metamorphagus…" Hermione said wistfully, tugging at a strand of her hair.

"Hermione, your hair is fine the way it is." Ron said absentmindedly, intently watching Irene change her hair color.

"Your hair is beautiful," Irene agreed. She winked at Hermione in the mirror. "Alright, that's done. Now for the eyes. Brown? or violet?"

"Brown. Golden brown." Hermione said, blushing slightly.

"Okey dokey. Whatcha think?"

Irene stared at her reflection. Her short hair was deep red at the top, slowly getting lighter until the ends were a golden blonde. She swished her hair back and forth.

"Phoenix…" Ron grinned. "It's like fire."

"I like it." Irene grinned. Hermione gave her a thumbs up. Suddenly, there was a tap at the window. Three different owls were outside the window.

"Hedwig and Taron!" Hermione said. "Who's the third owl?"

"Archimedes." Irene stated. "It's Rebecca's owl."

"Hufflepuff right? Brown hair and always has a camera?" Ron asked.

"Mhm. That's how we met."

"Who's Taron's letter from?"

"Aislyn Hernandez."

Ron laughed. "Despite myself, I like that girl."

"Trust the Hufflepuff to befriend a Slytherin."

"Muggleborn Slytherin." Irene absentmindedly commented.

"She's the exchange student from our 2nd year, right?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. I met her before the sorting. I thought for sure she'd be sorted into Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff because her Ilvermorny house was Pukwudgie."

Hedwig hooted loudly and thrust out her leg forcefully. There were letters for all three of them.

"Sometimes, I just wanna disobey Dumbledore and tell Harry everything." Hermione griped. "When are they going to get him!"

"Dunno." Ron shrugged. "But yeah, this sucks.

—-

and that's the end of the first chapter! I have a second one in the works. Introducing two new characters!