A/N: OK, I know what you're thinking. Another Sirius/OC story. AND the OC is a transfer student? On to the next, right? Well, I hope not. I ask that you give this story a chance. While it center arounds Sirius and my OC, Isabella, it also delves into the makings of James, Lily, and her history with Severus. While I am confident in the development of my characters and their stories, I know the flames will come. I welcome your reviews and your criticisms.

Just a note on the timeline: Though JKR hasn't said exactly when MWPP attended Hogwarts, I think most of the signs point to them starting Hogwarts in the fall of 1971. Therefore, my story starts in 1976 in the summer before their sixth year.

And lastly, everything you recognize is the property of the genius JK Rowling.

Enjoy!


"England. I can't believe you're really moving to England."

It took all of Isabella's strength to not roll her eyes, as it had to have been the hundredth time Lana had said this exact phrase since she had told Lana and her other best friend, Jasmine, of the abrupt decision to move just four days prior.

They were initially shocked to say the least—both cursing and unfairly growing angry with Isabella as if it were her fault, but then their moods quickly changed, thinking that it must have been a joke and did not believe Isabella until she showed them the official letter her father had received from the British Minister of Magic. Since then, the usually emotional Jasmine had accepted the move without another word of protest, while Lana had grown uncharacteristically apprehensive and continued to doubt Isabella, hoping that it was all still an elaborate scheme that involved everyone but her.

Lana's constant questioning had grown tiresome, but Isabella knew that she couldn't blame her friend this time—today was the last day she would be spending with Lana and Jasmine before she left, and although they continued to foolishly make plans as if Isabella would be visiting the States every other weekend, she had no idea when she would actually see them again. Tears welled up in her eyes at the mere thought.

"No more crying," Jasmine said sternly, having caught Isabella trying to surreptitiously dab her eyes with her napkin. "You had enough of that yesterday. You aren't gone yet, and we still have the whole day ahead of us."

Isabella frowned at Jasmine, replaced her napkin across her lap, and reached for another biscuit and jam. They may not see each other for a while, but Jasmine was right, they did have the rest of the day, and she planned to make the most of it.

It was 10:30 AM on July 4, Independence Day.

"Ironic," Lana had mused the night before, "that your last day in America before moving to England would be the 4th."

They were enjoying breakfast at a table on her backyard deck overlooking Bellport Bay. Jasmine and Lana had spent the night, and they had passed the time gossiping, reminiscing, laughing, and crying. She was surprised that they were even awake right now, considering the late hour they had finally fallen asleep, but aromas of the expansive breakfast her father had prepared had dragged them from Isabella's bedroom down to the deck. The table was laden with pancakes, Belgian waffles, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and every fruit and pastry imaginable, and they promptly began to force down as much as they could before it was taken away and the backyard transformed for Isabella and her father's going away party. And as if on cue…

"Alright, ladies, I think it's time you head upstairs and get ready for the day," Isabella's father said brightly as he strolled out from the kitchen.

The three of them groaned. They had grown comfortable eating breakfast in their pajamas under the warm, mid-morning sun, a light breeze blowing across the bay.

When only blank faces stared back at him, he continued. "Unless you would like to help me prepare for this afternoon's…"

The three girls shot up immediately and started heading towards the sliding door leading to the kitchen, mumbling excuses like 'curl my hair' and 'paint my nails.'

"Thanks for the great breakfast, Derrick," Lana said with a smile while passing him.

"Yes, delicious as always," Jasmine added.

Isabella stopped and kissed her father on the cheek. "Yes, thank you, dad."

Derrick winked and squeezed her shoulder before she continued into the house. Lana and Jasmine were already halfway up the stairs, so she took the time to soak in what was left of her childhood home before it was full of relatives and well-wishers.

Most of the rooms had been packed away into four small boxes that now sat by the front door—the kitchen where, as a six-year-old, she and her mother created more messes than meals with the help of her toy wand; the family room where her mother taught her exploding snap and her father showed her wizard's chess; and the magic room where she practiced her studies outside of school. All that remained were her and her parents' bedrooms. It would all be at their new home before they even Apparated and progressed through customs at the British Ministry tomorrow morning. However, if the letter had been any indication, they wouldn't need any of it.

The letter. A simple piece of parchment that had turned her life upside down just as she was setting it right again. It came at the beginning of June, just as Isabella was finishing her fifth year at the Morgana All Girls Academy of Witchcraft. She remembered returning home consumed with apprehension as her father's last letter had warned her of a serious discussion they would need to have as soon as she arrived.

After greeting her with his usual fervent hug, he remained unusually tense which slightly worried Isabella, for she could not remember a time when her father could not confidently speak his mind. He instead busied himself with moving her trunk and other bags upstairs to her room, asking about her end-of-term exams, and inquiring about her friends. When he brought up the subject of Garret, her then boyfriend, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Dad!" she had exclaimed as they both entered the family room. "What is going on? You said that we needed to have an important discussion when I got home, and I hardly think it includes Garret's summer plans."

Her father furrowed his eyebrows at the obvious annoyance in her voice, but silently walked into his office and returned with a single piece of paper. He stopped short of the armchair where Isabella was sitting, looked over the letter once more, and with a heavy sigh, handed it to her without a word.

Isabella looked over the stiff parchment quickly; a glimmering gold seal at the upper left hand corner caught her eye, bearing the words The Ministry of Magic of Great Britain. Slightly confused as to why something from the British Ministry would affect her father in such a way, a wave of anxiety suddenly swelled in her chest.

To Mister Derrick Williams, Chief Auror

Office of Magical Enforcement, United States Branch of Magic:

It is with extreme urgency that I write to you this evening concerning our state of affairs. As you are well aware, there is a distressing and frightening force currently gaining strength among our population through any means necessary. In previous years, most of this wizard's operations have remained under the radar of the general population, sparing us any problems of panic or uprising. During this time, our own Auror and Unspeakable departments were able to acquire valuable information regarding, among other things, his supporters and plans. However, in the past few months, he has arrogantly left a blatant path of death and destruction, while collecting more supporters on the way or eliminating anyone who stands in it.

After reviewing the Auror training program you have successfully created and implemented for the Branch of Magic, my advisors, department heads, and I believe that developing the same program would significantly benefit us as well, and we present to you with an offer to supervise its execution. We are well aware of the burden that such a move and subsequent project will cause and are ready to compensate you and your family in any way needed. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. We hope to receive a response soon.

Sincerely yours,

Armand Stotch

Minister of Magic

"Move…to Great Britain?" Isabella had barely whispered as she stood and handed the letter back to her father.

"London, specifically," Derrick said with a bright smile; it faded rapidly when Isabella's dejected look didn't disappear. Sighing, he reached his arm around Isabella's shoulders, guided her to the closest sofa, and they both sat down.

"Honey, I know a move to another country is the last thing you want to endure given the events of the past few months, but when I read the letter, your mother was the first thing that came to mind; I wasn't able to do anything to prevent her—"

"Mom's death was not your fault, Dad," Isabella interjected seriously.

"I know, I know, but doing this would allow me to help prevent this sort of tragedy from happening to anyone else." Derrick began wringing his hands as he fought to hold back his tears, causing Isabella's heart to clench.

"The situation in Britain is dreadfully serious right now," he continued. "This wizard, Lord Voldemort, is stopping at nothing to execute his master plan. This offer is something I cannot turn down. And we'd be a lot closer to family, which I think we both need right now."

"But…I…." Isabella looked down as her own tears started to gather, knowing there wasn't an argument she could give without sounding selfish and remained silent for a long while.

She understood her father's sense of duty to her mother's memory, but, as her father had said, a move across the Atlantic was the last thing she expected to happen. She was just starting to get her life back together since her mother's death in mid-March, beginning to finally accept her absence and learning that it was okay to smile again.

She was sixteen and in the middle of her magical education; there were so many possibilities and dreams she had for her future at the Academy and beyond.

Then she thought about Lana and Jasmine, her best friends whom she had known since they were all three years old, and their endless secrets, memories, and adventures; how could she just up and leave them behind?

And then there was Garret. They had been together for just over a year, and their bond was a strong one.

But everything was trumped by her the memory of her mother. Isabella could not express in words how much she missed her, and it was then she realized that nothing else really mattered. Her father's mission was more important, and although it would be hard, she knew they had to move; letters could always be written and visits could always be made.

Isabella looked up at her father and grabbed his hands with a strong squeeze. "I understand."

"Isabella!"

Lana's shrill voice broke into her thoughts, and she realized she had been staring at the family pictures sitting on the mantle above the fireplace. Derrick had refused to pack them and was taking them personally tomorrow morning. She quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks, slightly annoyed at herself for being so emotional before the day had really begun.

"I'm coming!" Isabella yelled back as she hurried up the stairs.

When she entered her room, Jasmine and Lana were already in various states of undress rummaging through their clothes in their overnight bags and Isabella's closet. She laughed as she herself began undressing to her undergarments, grabbing her robe, and heading to the bathroom.

"Really you guys? The party is going to be mostly people from the Branch offices and a few relatives, meaning no one to impress."

"That's what you think…" Lana sang just as Isabella closed her bathroom door, but the latter had heard Lana and poked her head back in, her eyes narrowed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Lana and Jasmine shared a furtive glance, apparently deciding what, if anything, they should say. Lana shook her head with a grin, but Jasmine shrugged and turned to Isabella.

"Your father owled us as soon as he knew you had told us about the move and asked that we contact some friends to invite," Jasmine blurted out.

Isabella sighed with some relief. "Oh, so just the girls from Morgana then? That wasn't a bad idea. Thanks." She made to close the door, but Jasmine continued.

"Yeah, the girls from Morgana…and a couple of boys from Merlin."

Isabella felt her stomach drop. The last thing she needed was a run-in with Garret, his friends, or any boy for that matter. She just didn't have the energy to impress or entertain them right now, nor did she want to feel like a prisoner during her last day in her home trying to avoid them.

"Don't worry!" Lana said hurriedly, seeing the worry wash over Isabella's face. "Not to make you feel bad, but do you really think Garret would show up after yesterday?"

"His parents are family friends, and his father works at the Branch! And if you invited his friends…there's a damn good chance of him showing up!" Isabella was frantic now; she could feel the heat rising to her face.

"Look," Jasmine said edgily, cutting across Isabella's frustrated grumbles and Lana's attempts to calm her down, "regardless of whether he comes or not, it is already after 11 and guests will be arriving soon, so let's just get ready and deal with it afterwards."

Lana shrugged and went back to her clothes while Isabella huffed and slammed the bathroom door behind her.

She turned the shower to the hottest setting and stepped under, wondering if she should just let herself drown.

"Merlin, Morgana, and anyone else up there," Isabella prayed desperately, "please do not let him show up." There was just no way she could face Garret so soon.

After leaving behind her best friends, breaking up with Garret was the next thing she began to dread most when the move became final. When Lana and Jasmine arrived yesterday, they waited until Derrick left for his last day at work before Isabella traveled by Floo to Garret's house, as they had done many times during their previous school breaks. He had been waiting for her in his kitchen, sitting stiffly at the breakfast table, and wringing the letter she had sent ahead in his hands. She sat down heavily across from him, but neither of them said anything or made eye contact.

She wasn't sure what made her do it, but after five minutes of tense silence, Isabella stood, walked around to his side, forced him to face her, bent down, and kissed him firmly on the lips. He hesitated for just an instant before grabbing her waist and pulling her into his lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck, Isabella deepened the kiss and reveled in the familiar sensation that tingled through her body whenever their tongues touched.

Garret's hands found their way under her robes and made their usual run up her chest and down her back. As he started rubbing the small of her back, she shifted to move closer to him and suddenly felt his firm arousal. A low guttural moan escaped his throat, and Isabella froze. She quickly stood and took a few steps back; they were both panting.

Isabella had felt like a silly tart. It was so easy to get caught up in the moment with Garret and lose all sense of reality, but now was not the time, and she felt guilty for leading him on.

"I'm sorry," Garret had abruptly said before she was able to apologize. He wouldn't quite meet her eyes. "I shouldn't have taken advantage of you like that."

Isabella felt even worse. "No, Garret, you didn't take advantage. I shouldn't have initiated—"

"So what's this job offer?" Garret interrupted as he turned away from her and back to the letter. Isabella sighed heavily, knowing the issue was dropped, and went back to her seat.

"Something or someone is gaining some dangerous power over there and they need my father's help," Isabella explained listlessly. "I really don't know the details except that he accepted, and we are going."

"And you didn't…didn't think about staying?" he asked tentatively.

"Staying? With who?"

"Yeah, either Lana or Jasmine or your Aunt Annette?"

Isabella's eyes widened in disbelief, but Garret was still not fully looking at her. "Stay here and let my father go alone? You know how close we are, especially since my mother—" A lump suddenly caught in Isabella's throat, and she tried to breathe deeply before continuing. "You know how much you and the girls mean to me, but you most of all should know that I can't leave my father either."

"I know. I'm sorry," Garret said quietly.

He reached across the table and squeezed her hand, now looking at her with fervent intensity that caused emotions to rush through Isabella and her eyes to fill with tears. She realized that this could be the last time she lost herself in his warm brown gaze. They saw each other only a couple times a month during the academic year since they attended different schools, and as such, their relationship had required a great amount of patience and trust. She lived for their weekends in Brentwood and the times when their respective headmasters held joint events for the brother and sister schools, and she had been looking forward to the many visits they had planned for the summer.

Yes, she understood that they were only sixteen-years-old and that they had their whole lives ahead of them, but she would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about marrying Garret someday in the far future. She loved him very much, and she knew he felt the same way. They would have to part for now, but who knew what would happen over the next few years. If things calmed down in England, she could eventually move back, and maybe they could continue from there. Until then, she hoped that they could at least remain friends.

Another squeeze from Garret brought her back to the present. He was still staring at her.

"I should get back," Isabella said sadly, releasing her hand from his grip. They both stood, and he walked with her to the fireplace.

"Well, be careful over there," he said softly, helping her climb in. "Let me know how you're doing?"

She smiled sincerely at him. "I promise to write as soon as I get there."

She took a deep breath, but before she could utter her destination, Garret reached in and pulled her into a soft kiss. When they parted, the green flames were already raising high around her, impatiently waiting for her instructions. She wiped the tears streaming down her cheeks as she yelled, "Home!" The last thing she saw before closing her eyes against the spinning was Garret mouthing, "I'll miss you." She was trembling with sobs on her knees by the time she returned home, and Lana and Jasmine had to help her out of the fireplace.

Isabella abruptly shut off the water, her skin scalding with a tinge of red. She used her wand to quickly dry off and style her hair to perfection before putting on her robe and walking into her room. Lana and Jasmine had finally picked outfits for the day—a white sundress for Lana and a yellow one for Jasmine—but were now charming their hair. Living with a high-level Branch official certainly had its perks; Isabella's home wasn't as closely regulated as most civilians' for such minor things as underage magic.

"You feeling better?" Lana asked hesitantly as she magicked her dark blonde tresses from curly to straight and back again.

"Much better," Isabella replied, hoping they wouldn't notice her red-rimmed eyes. She started rummaging through her closet and picked her favorite jade green sundress that beautifully offset her cinnamon skin. After a quick check of her hair and application of some light makeup, she was good to go.

"Are we finally ready?" Jasmine asked the others; she had decided to pull her chestnut hair into a sleek ponytail. "I think guests are already arriving."

And sure enough, as they made their way downstairs, they heard the many voices of friends and family greeting and laughing. When they reached the bottom, their friends from school were just walking through the front door, and Lana and Jasmine rushed forward to greet them with hugs. Isabella hung back until the last boy and Garret's closest friend, Tate Gordon, closed the door behind him, and with a significant look, told her that Garret was not coming.

She released the breath she was holding and joined the group as they made their way to the backyard.

Hours later, they were all sitting at a table, delightfully stuffed and enjoying the sunset. The afternoon had been wonderful, and Isabella had quietly thanked Lana and Jasmine again for taking the time to invite their friends. Despite the fact that she was hugged, kissed, and forced to relive every embarrassing story in her life from the countless relatives and family friends that joined their company throughout the day, she was having a good time and, at one point, had even forgotten that she would be leaving the next day. That is until Patrick Moore, the Chief Magical Officer of the Branch of Magic, stood and engaged the party in a speech.

"Dear friends, family, colleagues, and general well-wishers," he began in the confident booming voice that had always commanded reverent attention, "I don't know how many of you know Derrick well, but even if you don't, you would know that this community is losing one of its finest." There were murmurs of agreement around them. "I remember meeting Derrick as a young man, a graduate fresh out of Merlin All Boys School of Wizardry. He came straight to the Branch, walked into the Department of Magical Enforcement, where I was head at the time, and said to me 'I want to be an Auror.' 'Alright,' I had replied, 'but you do know that you have another 3 years of advanced training and studies before you can even take the test to qualify?'" This earned a few chuckles. "It was a tough one, as it is for many aspiring Aurors, but he made the decision to go through with it, and, if I were to guess correctly, hasn't looked back since.

"He excelled during his training and finished at the top of his class. Since then, he has been on a nonstop ascent through the ranks to where he is now, Chief Auror. And over time, he has used his intelligence and ingenuity to completely overhaul the training program and the department in general, making our force the most skilled and respected in the magical world. Of course, it was also during this time that he met the beautiful Estelle Jones interning from England, a smart and talented witch in her own right. I don't think any of us have quite fully recovered from her untimely passing, and frankly, never will."

There was a moment of silence, and Isabella's eyes burned with fresh tears. She couldn't look over at her father because she knew she would completely fall apart.

"It is in the memory of Estelle that Derrick moves on with his career to help our friends across the Atlantic. There is a dark force gaining strength over there, and if we must part with one of our own to help them fight back, then so be it. But Derrick, know that we will miss you, and of course, young Isabella," he said with a wink her way, "very dearly. The community will not be the same without you.

"So if you would please join me," he began, and with a wave of his hand, bottles and glasses of champagne appeared at each table, "in toast to Derrick, Isabella, and the memory of the beloved Estelle, we wish them the best of luck and everything else…and that you are able to return as soon as possible."

Everyone raised their glasses with a hearty "Here, here!" and downed their drinks. She knew it was coming, but this time she was ready for it. A barrage of hugs, kisses, and words of encouragement came at her from every direction. It was only after another hour she was free to rejoin her friends at their table, and at this point, they were all pleasantly buzzed from the copious amounts of champagne.

"Remember when Garret, Tate, and Chris snuck out of school and came to visit us?" Nina, Isabella's other dormmate from school, said as she snuggled up closer to her boyfriend, Chris. "I didn't think you guys would ever be allowed to leave your castle again."

"Yeah, but the picnic was worth it," Chris said with a laugh.

"Maybe so, but I don't think you would have been caught if you hadn't tried to sneak back on our school brooms," Lana said, slurring her words a bit. "Your faces at the sound of the alarm when you crashed into the boundaries…priceless." They all erupted into laughter.

Isabella definitely remembered that day well, and it brought a smile to her face. The three boys had traveled the few miles that separated their schools on foot and had surprised them on a Sunday afternoon with a magically packed picnic. Garret and Chris had brought Tate with them hoping that he would finally overcome his anxiety and ask Lana out. They were known to have mutual crushes on each other but neither of them had ever made a move. Nothing had happened that day, but by the looks of it now, the champagne must have given both courage, for they were now sitting close together and Tate had his arm around her shoulders.

The night sky above them suddenly erupted into a brilliant fireworks show as people around them broke into every American patriotic song known to man. Isabella was swiftly overcome by a rush of emotion—the sadness of moving away from all that she knew, the apprehension of starting anew in a completely foreign place, the comfort of knowing she would be safe with her dad, and the loneliness she felt with the absence of her mom. She began to openly sob, no longer able to hold it back. Jasmine pulled her close, and they cried together, watching the lightshow above them as it reflected magnificently on the lake.

Within the next hour, many guests began to call it a night, including their friends. With promises of seeing them soon, they Disapparated with their parents who had arrived separately. Lana and Jasmine would be returning home by Floo later.

When the last guest, Isabella's Uncle Bradley, had left, Derrick gathered his traveling coat and hat and entered the kitchen, where the girls were finishing the last of numerous dishes with a cleaning charm.

"Alright ladies," he began, "I have to head to the office for a last meeting with Patrick, but I will be back soon, and Isabella, we can finish up the packing."

He made to Apparate, but Isabella stopped him. "Wait!"

Derrick stopped mid-spin with a contorted look on his face; it was not a good feeling to hastily interrupt Apparition.

"Sorry," Isabella said quickly, "but Lana and Jasmine won't be here when you get back."

"Oh, that's right," Derrick said sadly, striding towards them. He pulled each into a tight hug before standing back. "I want to sincerely thank both of you for being such amazing friends that Isabella has been able to count on throughout the years, and especially for everything you have done over the past few months and today. I will miss you both just as much as she will."

He moved back a little to give himself room. "And know that you can visit whenever you want; just let Isabella know, and I will make all of the arrangements." He gave them a nod and a smile, and with a loud crack, he was gone.

The girls finished cleaning up and headed upstairs to collect Lana and Jasmine's things. They returned downstairs and stood silently by the fireplace in the family room; no one wanted to be the first to say good-bye.

"Well, I guess we should give you your gift first," Jasmine said, reaching into her bag and pulling out a large, heavy brown package.

Isabella quickly removed the wrapping, and extracted a brushed silver picture frame the size of their most hated History of Magic book. Within the frame were 12 smaller, differently shaped frames, all filled with moving pictures of the three of them from various ages. Some pictures changed into others, while others stayed the same, and soon those began to transform into more pictures too, which Isabella thought was a good idea, as they probably had taken hundreds, if not thousands, of photos together since they were three-years-old. Also, their full names—Isabella Marie Williams, Jasmine Lynn Stevens, and Lana Alyssa Gates—were engraved contiguously along the outer edge.

"It's exquisite," Isabella whispered, as more tears began to gather. She looked at them both, who were beaming at her, and without warning, they hugged close and began to weep.

When they parted, none of them was sure how much time had passed, but not wanting to drag out the already depressing situation any longer, Lana and Jasmine grabbed their bags as Isabella threw Floo powder into the fire, and her two friends stepped inside.

"Let's not say goodbye; how about, see you later?" Lana suggested.

"See you later, Isabella," Jasmine said with one last smile.

"Sooner than later," Isabella called back just as they began to spin. "I promise to write as soon I as I get there."

"You better!" Lana yelled, and in an instant, they had disappeared within a whirl of emerald flames.

Isabella sighed and went back to her room. She took out her wand and started to shrink her endless volumes of Muggle literature for easier packing, but an unexpected wave of exhaustion washed over her and she instead sat heavily on her bed, knowing her father would finish for her.

She set her new picture frame on her nightstand and smiled. Memories of her friends, Garret, Morgana, her parents, and today swam through her mind as she lied back against her pillows. This time tomorrow, she would be laying her head in a new home, a new land, and although she was filled with unease, with so many friends and family supporting her, she knew that deep down that she had nothing to fear.