Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter! That would be J.K. Rowling's.
This is my first fan fiction ever, so please tell me what you think about it. Hope you enjoy reading!

The August 1st was a very special day for Mary-Lynne Sheperd. Why, you ask? Because she got her first Hogwarts letter! It was the beginning of a complete new and adventurous life for her in the magical world. She is what you'd call a complete Muggle-born. Both her parents obsess no magical abilities, like the rest of her family. Also her new stepmother was complete unaware of the wizarding world until this day. So after finishing the first page inside the envelope Lynne, as her friends call her, was very confused. "Where is platform 9 ¾? Do all these books really exist? Where would she get a wand from?" she asked herself astonished. Also her father and her stepmother couldn't help her, as they had never heard or seen one of the listed things themselves. It was several hours of internet recherché and a very strange phone call with her mother later until Lynne stroke the idea that there could be more information in the rest of the letter included. And there was:

As we do have information that you don't have a witch or a wizard in your family, we have found you magical godparents. They will help you with you first steps as a witch, such as buying your school supplies etc. Meet them at Charing Cross Road in London in front of the 'Leaky Cauldron' at August 10th, 11 o'clock.

Yours sincerely,

Filius Flitwick

Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts

"Daddy!"

"Yes, my dear? Any new information of your new school?"

"Of course, what else?! Mark the 10th of August in your notebook and DO NOT forget to deliver me to Charing Cross Road until 11 o'clock!"

"Sure, Mary angel, but may I ask why?"

But Lynne had already left the room to share the new information with her stepmother Caroline.

The 10th August was a bright summer day. No cloud was to be seen on the sky and Lynne stood in the shadow of the huge buildings at Charing Cross road, eagerly waiting for her magical godparents. The 'Leaky Cauldron' turned out to be a shabby little pub, unnoticed by anyone else than Lynne, who couldn't keep her eyes of it, while she imagined what her godparents would look like. Impatiently she peeked at her mobile. "Still not eleven, dammit!" she thought and scrolled trough her old messages to kill time.

I'm sorry, that I had to leave the town for today. I'll make up for it when I'm back. – Dad

Please behave and show good manners today. Please explain my absentness to your godparents today. I would feel sad, if they'd think as a bad mother of me. – Caroline

Absent-minded she typed an answer to her father: I know Dad. Go on and earn loads of money for the new baby! I think you've given me its entire future heritage for shopping today. – Mary-Lynne

She had just finished typing when a boy's voice attracted her interest. "That must be her, Mom. Look, look, over there!"

Looking up, she saw a boy with messy black hair, pointing at her, accompanied by a man, unmistakably his father as they shared the same on-edge-standing hair. Together with them were a beautiful woman with long red hair and two other kids hiding behind their mothers back. They looked rather anxious about the crowd around them, making Lynne wonder whether there were only a few witches and wizards in the world, so that the two must be shocked at the sight of so many people at once, or if they were just uncomfortable with masses altogether.

Lynne watched the family approach, the boy in the lead, leaving the others behind. The last few meters he broke into a run, skidding to halt right in front of Lynne. He held out his hand and said grinning,

"Hi, I'm James."

"Hi. My name's Lynne. Nice to meet you"

"So, you'll be starting at Hogwarts this year, too? It's also my first year, so we can do all the shopping together! And that are my younger siblings Lily and Albus", James continued, inclining his head towards his by now arrived siblings and parents, "They're too young to go to Hogwarts. I don't know why we had to take them along, thou."

At this point his mother joined the conversation.

"Hello! You must be Mary-Lynne. My name is Ginny Potter. And this is my husband Harry. We are very happy to help you today."

James continued to talk to Lynne, telling her that he rode for the first time in his life on the subway today and explained her the term 'Muggle', a word for a non-wizard or witch, as his parents led them into the pub.

As they entered, they were almost instantly greeted by the bar keeper.

"Hey, Harry! Good to see you and the family. Doing James' Hogwarts shopping?"

"Hello, Neville. Yes, exactly. You're helping out Hannah today?"

"I have to. She likes it when I fill in for her at the holidays."

Just as Lynne wondered, if they were meeting someone else at the pub, or if there was a hidden store upstairs, she recognized a door at the far back, as there entered a couple of mid-aged witches, packed with strange shaped packages and boxes. The sat down at a table and Neville, the bar keeper, hurried of to take their orders.

"That was Neville Longbottom. He is our Herbology teacher and an old friend of Dad", James explained to Lynne. The little group headed for the back door and Lynne thought they would surely enter a store, because these women couldn't possibly all been to the bathroom carrying all that baggage. But as they walked through the door, Lynne found herself in an ordinary backyard, empty except for some dustbins in a corner. "What on earth were they doing here?" Lynne asked herself. The Potters seemed to sense her confusion, because Mrs. Potter smiled encouragingly at Lynne and said, "You'll understand soon. Just wait a moment."

Then she took a step forward towards the opposite wall, took a small but elegant wooden stick out of her handbag and tipped it three times against one of the bricks. Lynne's eyes grew wide with amazement. Suddenly she wasn't facing a cold stone wall anymore, but a large arch, revealing a busy, twisted shopping street.