"Tuney, it's only for a few days."

Upon hearing her childish nickname, Petunia Dursley pursed her thin lips. Her youngest sister Rose, always one for surprises, had arrived on her doorstep for the first time in five years. Deep down, she felt a twinge of jealousy that Rose had not seemed to age a day and she would have believed that to be true, if it were not for the tiny girl at her side.

The same age as Dudley, the girl looked like her spirited mother in miniature, aside from her eyes. They were reminiscent of the clouds on a rainy day, the calm before the storm. It was the first time she was meeting her niece, which made Rose's unexpected visit all the more strange. The two sisters had a falling out years ago, over an explosive argument involving their recently deceased sister Lily and Rose's lack of ambition in life.

"I found someone who can prove he's innocent," explained Rose, her voice hopeful. "To prove he never hurt those people."

Her shrewd eyes passed over the tattered backpack on her shoulder. She was foolish to think that her sister had finally grown up, putting aside her childish notions. Instead, she proved to be the same lovesick teenager, one unwilling to see the truth about her supposed 'true love'.

"Rose," she said, exasperated. "Please tell me this isn't about that filthy criminal. Haven't you moved on by now? All these men begging for your attention, promising you a good life, and you'd rather waste your time on someone who's beneath you?"

A fire blazed in her emerald green eyes. "He didn't do it! I told you he was framed. If it was Vernon in his place—"

"Vernon would never find himself accused of murder."

Petunia lowered her voice to a whisper, afraid the neighbors would overhear their conversation.

"You're living in the past when you should be focusing on your daughter. How can you keep dragging her along in this endless pursuit that may lead to nowhere?"

"I'm doing this for Carina," she insisted, stubborn as ever. "She deserves to have her father in her life. I don't want her growing up thinking he was some monster. I'm not like you, Petunia. No matter how much you wish it, I'm not meant to be some businessman's housewife. I don't care how much money men like Pierce Keaton make, how many beach houses they own…"

Knowing it was a losing battle, Petunia sighed, looking from her reckless yet fiercely determined sister to her niece chasing a rabbit in the yard. She considered outright refusing and slamming the door in her face but it would not deter Rose from her daft plan. Either Carina would be left in the care of someone far less responsible or accompany her mother in meeting this stranger.

"A few days, that's all."

With an excited squeal, Rose embraced her older sister. "Thank you, Petunia. It means so much."

"I want you to make me a promise, Rose. If this leads to another dead end, you'll stop searching for proof that may not exist. You'll be a proper mother and put all your effort into giving Carina the life she deserves."
"Always the pessimistic one, aren't you? Fine, yes. If I'm wrong, you can set me up with as many eligible bachelors as you like." She turned her head. "Carina, sweetie. Come here."

Rose bent down, cupping her rosy cheeks. "You're going to stay with your aunt and uncle for a few days, okay? You know how mommy's been writing to daddy every day while he's been away? Well, I'm bringing him home. He'll be so excited to see you."

She unclasped her necklace, a gift from Carina's father. Petunia remembered all her friends admired it, gushing over how it seemed like actual stars were inside the crescent-shaped pendant.

"Mommy hasn't taken this off since he gave it to her," she said, tying it around Carina's neck. "I want you to keep it safe. I promise I won't be gone long. If you miss me, just squeeze that pendant and it'll feel like I'm right by your side. I love you, sweetheart."

A few days turned into several weeks. In front of Carina, Petunia and Vernon excused her mother's disappearance but behind closed doors, in the privacy of their bedroom, they began to discuss their own theories. Vernon believed that Rose's visit was of a malicious nature, intending to abandon her daughter out of a lack of desire to be a mother.

Petunia listened to him night after night, calling her all sorts of terrible things ("We should've suspected it, darling. You know the riffraff she hung around with…still does, I expect") while she held her tongue. The truth was revealed one early Saturday morning, nearly a month later, in the middle of breakfast, Dudley whining that his favorite cartoon was interrupted by the knocks on the door.

Two grim-faced officers stood on the front porch. One of them was holding a familiar backpack, having found it in the backseat of an empty car outside a bar in London. Within three months, the police gave up their search, concluding that Rose somehow vanished into thin air.

Six years passed since that tragic day. With no knowledge of Carina's father, their options were limited: leave her in foster care or take her in, being her only relatives. They had no reservations about the latter, seeing as, in their minds, she was a victim of her mother's carelessness.

Though it took some time, along with many tears, Carina adjusted to her new home and it soon felt like she had always been part of the family. Her aunt and uncle doted on her as much as Dudley, showering her with gifts. She could not go one day without receiving a new toy or dress. The downside was their outright ban on any mention of her parents, treating her like the fragile doll she resembled.

Hearing her aunt call her down for breakfast, Carina finished brushing her golden blonde hair. Her stomach twisted into knots when she passed by the empty bedroom next to hers. Just two weeks ago, her cousin Harry, who was also an orphan, disappeared in the middle of the night with his friends.

To most, the sight of a flying car would be absurd but Harry was far from normal, the reason her family treated him like dirt. Whether out of fear or disgust, they prohibited any talk of Harry's magical abilities, which led to secret, late night conversations in his bedroom. He would spend hours telling her all about Hogwarts and his many, admittedly dangerous, adventures.

Entering the kitchen, she sat beside her cousin Dudley, his backside taking up half of the table as always. His eyes narrowed as Aunt Petunia placed a plate in front of her. He never cared for her much, annoyed when his parents paid more attention to her, but his animosity was at an all time high, thanks to an incident at the beginning of the summer.

One of the older, popular boys at Smelting's invited him to a pool party but his real intent was for Dudley to bring Carina. He admitted that it was best to ask Dudley instead of her directly, considering Uncle Vernon watched over her like a hawk. If Harry had not threatened to turn him into a beetle with some 'magic' words, he would have flattened her like a pancake.

"It looks really good, Aunt Petunia. I missed your cooking."

"Well, it's wonderful to have you back, sweetheart," she said, kissing the top of her head. "We all missed you, didn't we, Duddy?"

He stabbed his sausage violently. "Yes."

Uncle Vernon poured himself another cup of coffee. "You were careful around those Americans, I hope. Olivia's mother kept you around the proper crowd?"

"Yes, she didn't let us wander off at all. I liked being in California. It was fun."

It had been a long week of begging and pleading from Carina, the idea of letting her travel to another country far from appealing. Her aunt and uncle could not find a single fault in Olivia's family, aside from them being Americans and Olivia's mother being a bit more lax.

As far as they knew, she traveled to California for her best friend and the added bonus of a pop of color to her usual porcelain skin. When she returned, they acted as if she had been away for months instead of two weeks and she was surprised to learn that Harry was gone. She remembered when Hedwig, his owl, arrived with a letter, apologizing for his absence and promising to write her once a week, just as he did every year.

"That boy was respectful?"

Carina stifled a laugh. "Seth was a perfect gentleman. He wouldn't hurt a fly, Uncle Vernon."

There was a sudden, rapid succession of knocks on the door. Dudley, in the midst of chewing his bacon, slid back in his chair, nearly shaking the table.

"That must be Piers. He wanted to ride bikes."

Carina had never seen him leave the kitchen so fast. She rolled her eyes, knowing that he and Piers were not riding bikes around the neighborhood. Her aunt was oblivious to his real activities: vandalizing the playground and taking turns beating up the younger kids.

A loud groan echoed from the hallway. "It's Olivia!"

"Didn't you just see each other last night?" her uncle asked, looking away from the business section of the newspaper.

"We're best friends. If we're separated for too long, we'll die."

He chuckled at her dramatic tone. Carina walked towards the front door where, behind Dudley's large frame, a tall, smiling girl was bouncing on her heels. The hot pink tips at the end of her chestnut brown hair were one of the reasons for Carina's aunt and uncle disapproval.

"Don't you have your own house? Why are you always at ours?"

"You really want to start with me, blob?" she asked, poking his chest. "Go away. It's girl talk."

He scowled. "I'm waiting for Piers."

"Oh, which toddler are you beating up today? Heard Toby Mitchell's looking to tear out your spine after what you did to his little brother."

Dudley clenched his fists. Before he could make a single threatening gesture, Piers rode up the driveway on his blue bike.

"Finally. Let me just get mine from the—"

"Hey Carina." Piers casually leaned against the bike, with the air of a teenage rebel. "You like it? Just got it yesterday."

"Yeah, it's…shiny."

Olivia disguised her laugh as a cough. Dudley scrunched his piggish nose in disgust.

"You want to go for a ride?"

"Sorry, Piers. It's a girl's day," said Olivia, linking her arm through Carina's. "Guess you'll have to share that wheel of cheese with someone else."

Carina waited for them to disappear down the block before turning to her outspoken friend. It was not uncommon for Olivia to speak her mind, whether the comment was directed at a girl their own age or a man twice their size. She usually acted as her best friend's filter, keeping her alive these past six years.

"Was the cheese comment necessary?"

"Hey, I thought that was pretty nice. I could've said a lot worse, Cari."

She checked that the street was empty before breaking into one of her happy dances. Carina imitated her.

"Why are we dancing?"

An excited squeal escaped her lips when Olivia retrieved an envelope from the pocket of her shorts.

"Is that—did he—"

"Open it, open it, open it."

With her trembling fingers, Carina carefully opened the envelope. Her grey eyes passed over the letter dozens of times, hoping it was not a dream.

"He said yes." She jumped up and down in excitement. "Liv, he said yes!"

Olivia hugged her tightly. "I told you he would! Why did you stop jumping?"

"Well, how do I explain it to—"

"Worry about that later," she said, taking Carina's hand. "We can go get everything now. My mom's out with some work friends so she won't even notice."

Grabbing her backpack from her room, she gave a quick goodbye to her aunt and uncle before following Olivia to her house on the corner of Magnolia Road. It was very similar to the Dursley home on the outside, with its pristine lawn and an expensive car parked out front. Olivia led her into the living room and began digging through the cabinet near the fireplace.

Carina sat in one of the armchairs, admiring the many paintings decorating the walls.

"Your mom put up my painting from California."

"You know she loves your art. If she could, she'd keep you here all the time so you can have more drawing sessions. Sadly, Seth and I didn't inherit her artistic talent."

"Maybe this is a bad idea, Liv." Her determined friend moved from the cabinet to the fireplace itself. "I don't want you to get in trouble. I'm not worth it."

"Uh wrong. You are worth going to jail for, my bestie. Besides, my mom won't be back for hours and Seth is—"

"Wondering what you're doing."

As Olivia banged her head on the inside of the fireplace ("Ow!"), Carina whipped her head around to see an older teenage boy in the doorway, clutching a hefty, leather-bound book. He pushed up his glasses that had been sitting on the edge of his nose.

"Liv, why are you in the fireplace? Are you trying to run off to see dad again?" he asked, accusingly. "You know mom doesn't want us to go without her. It's not safe."

"Is this the fireplace? Silly me," she said, acting clueless.

Carina shrunk in the armchair when his gaze fell on her. He frowned slightly.

"Did you have another incident?" Seth bent down in front of her, abandoning his book on the coffee table. "Are you hurt?"

Her cheeks reddened when his fingers delicately brushed against her wrist. Around him, her brain turned to mush. His ocean blue eyes and charming smile made most girls in the town melt, something that drove Olivia mad.

"I—I'm okay," she stuttered, somehow regaining her voice. "I um got a letter back. They said I can go and Liv wanted to help me get my stuff."

"You got in?" He grinned, embracing her in a one-armed hug. "That's great, Carina. I'm really happy for you. I knew he wouldn't turn you down."

"Thanks, Seth."

"Let me come too. I've been there before with my mother so I know where to find everything."

He flipped a vase on the coffee table upside down, a black pouch falling onto the table. Olivia looked at him, dumbfounded.

"Mom knows you never do your chores so she hid it in there."

Opening the pouch, he poured out a handful of glittery powder and tossed it into the fireplace, the flames now emerald green. The closer Carina was to what she wanted, the more her fears and doubts plagued her mind. She thought of just tearing up the letter and continuing on with her normal life with the Dursleys. Her fears only grew when Olivia, offering to go first, disappeared from the fireplace.

Seth squeezed her hand. "Don't be nervous. I know how scary this must feel but you're going to love it there. It's where you belong and once you get the hang of it, I think you'll see just how great you can be."

He threw more powder into the fireplace and helped her into the flames. Taking a deep breath, she shut her eyes.

"Diagon Alley."

The spinning sensation in her head reminded her of a ride at the summer carnival. It seemed to go on forever, her stomach twisting into knots, until she fell forward, Olivia catching her before she hit the floor. Instead of the living room, she was inside a dark, shabby pub. She watched in awe as half-filled glasses floated across the room to several tables and a rag moved across the dusty counter.

Seconds later, Seth appeared behind her, brushing the soot off his jeans. He led them into a small courtyard in the back and retrieved his wand, a thin piece of pale yellow wood, from his pocket. After he tapped a single brick on the wall three times, an archway formed, revealing a series of shops on either side of the cobbled street.

Carina was too stunned to even move. Her eyes darted around her surroundings in disbelief, still believing it all to be a vivid dream. An excited Olivia pulled her down the street, pointing out each shop that sold a whole range of objects from cauldrons to exploding playing cards.

"We'll need to go to Gringotts first," said Seth, keeping a tight grip on Olivia's t-shirt. "It's the wizarding bank. Mom won't mind if we take some money out of our vault since you don't have any money."

Carina unzipped the side pocket of her backpack. "Like this?" she asked, holding up a tiny golden key.

"Where did you get that?" he said, surprised. "Is it Harry's?"

"No, I found it in my mom's bag when she…left me with my aunt and uncle. It was taped to a note about a Vault 707."

Gringotts was a white marble building that overshadowed the other shops. At the top of the white steps, beside a pair of bronzed doors, stood a short, bearded creature in a scarlet and gold uniform. He bowed as Seth opened the door.

"Thank you," said Carina, curtsying back.

Olivia giggled, nudging her through the door. "Only you would curtsy at a goblin."

"I was being nice."

"Don't bother with them. They might not seem that bad but trust me, they'll tear your face off."

Learning her lesson, she merely mouthed a quick 'thank you' to the pair of goblins guarding the second set of doors. They soon found themselves in an enormous hall where goblins were sitting on high stools, examining gems and weighing coins on scales. Seth spoke to one of the goblins, who escorted them to a narrow stone passageway lit with torches. The series of winding railroad tracks made it look more like a dangerous rollercoaster than a bank.

Once they were safely inside a small cart, it sped down the track, twisting and turning as it went deeper inside the vast tunnels. Carina could not see clearly, aside from the ravine they passed over, and was too anxious to turn her head, unsure if the speed would snap her neck. Olivia cheered when the cart stopped at a door marked 707.

"That was awesome! Can we do that again?"

The goblin took the key from Seth and used it to turn the lock before running its long finger down the metal door. Carina nearly fainted as the door swung open, revealing mounds of coins like miniature mountains.

"Whoa, where'd she get all this money?" asked Olivia, amazed.

"M—maybe Uncle James knew the truth about me. He must've left me money."

Together, they hurried out of the bank, the front pocket of her backpack now jingling heavily with coins. Seth suggested getting a wand first. They entered a shabby shop called Ollivander's, thousands of boxes stacked to the ceiling. An elderly man stepped out from behind one of the shelves.

"Ah, Seth and Olivia Fawley. Wonderful to see you again. Seth, you've grown into quite the fine young man and Olivia, looking more and more like your lovely mother each day. How is she? Doing well, I hope?"

"Very, sir," said Seth.

"Terrible business she's had to deal with but she's always been a strong one. I expect you're doing just fine under her tutelage." His silvery eyes fell on Carina. "And who do we have here?"

"This is a friend of ours, Carina Evans. She's going to be starting at Hogwarts this year and she needs a wand."

"Excellent! Let's get started, shall we?"

A tape measure zoomed around her, taking all sorts of measurements. As it measured her head, Mr. Ollivander explained how the wand chooses the witch or wizard. Each wand was specifically tailored to a certain person, no two wands sharing the same length, wood, or core.

Carina's anxiety was at an all time high as she held her first wand. Seth leaned close to her ear.

"Remember, don't be scared. It won't be like the other times," he whispered, placing his hand gently on her back. "A wand focuses your magic and it might take a few tries but you'll find the perfect one. Trust me."

Reluctantly, she waved the wand and though she was relieved nothing happened, Ollivander did not look as pleased. She tried at least ten wands, unable to so much as wave it before it was substituted for a new one.

"No need to fret. Try this," he assured her, opening another box. "Willow and phoenix feather, ten inches, nice and flexible."

Ready to abandon all hope, Carina grabbed the wand. A warmth spread to her fingertips and as she flicked the wand, silver fireworks shot out of the tip.

"Yes, yes, I think this is the one," said Ollivander, grinning, as Olivia cheered. "An excellent wand. I think we can expect great things from you, Miss Evans."

"I think so too," agreed Seth, making her blush.

They continued from shop to shop, buying items on her list. Seth was their impulse control, keeping them from spending money on nonessential things like candy and a fancy telescope. He practically dragged Olivia of a joke shop, despite her pleas to buy dungbombs and stink pellets for Becky Edgerton's locker.

"Carina, why don't you get us some ice cream? Olivia will stay here with me until she agrees not to torment anyone this year."

"Unless their name is Becky Edgerton, fine."

Carina left them to their bickering and walked inside the nearby ice cream parlor. Their flavors ranged from normal (chocolate and vanilla) to strange (chocolate chili).

"Hello there," greeted an elderly woman behind the counter. "What can I get you today?"

"Could I just have three hot fudge sundaes? Oh but one of them without cherries?"

"Of course. It'll just be a moment, dear."

She overheard an argument at the other end of the counter. A boy her age, his white blonde hair slicked back, was fighting with another worker, a balding, middle-aged man with little patience. The two boys behind him looked more like personal bodyguards or slightly less intelligent gorillas. From what she could hear, the boy had forgotten to get money from his father to pay for their ice cream.

"I don't care about your family name. You want these ice creams, you pay for them like everyone else."

"When my father hears about this—"

Carina placed a small leather pouch between them. The sound of jingling coins ended their argument, the man looking stunned.

"That should cover both, I think. Pay it forward, right?" she said, smiling. "You don't have to worry about it. My mom always says if you do something nice, it starts a chain reaction of good karma and who wouldn't want that?"

Now as silent as his friends, the boy simply stared at her. Her three sundaes appeared on the counter with a pop.

"These look great. Thank you so much," she told the bewildered man, grabbing the sundaes. "Have an amazing day."

Olivia and Seth were no longer outside the parlor. As she turned the corner, she bumped into someone.

"I'm really sorry. I wasn't paying attention. It's my fault. I was just looking for—"

Her face paled at the sight of her cousin Harry. If they were not standing face to face, she would have ducked into the nearest shop. This had been the moment she dreaded since receiving her letter. She assumed the tall, lanky redheaded boy and the girl with bushy brown hair were his best friends Ron and Hermione. Before she could even think of what to say, Olivia tackled her from behind.

"Hey, we thought you'd take a lot longer getting the ice cream. We were just—"

Her voice faltered when she spotted Harry, whose face was frozen in confusion and disbelief.

"Heh, I bet you're wondering what's going on. It's a funny story. You are gonna laugh when you hear it. Cari is the best at telling stories. Go on," she said, nudging her forward.

Unable to speak, she settled for an awkward wave. All her weeks of preparation were gone, leaving her to just stand there in silence.

"C—Cari?" he sputtered. "How—you—Olivia—you can't—I don't—how are you here?"

Olivia bounced on her heels, struggling to hold her tongue. As always, it lasted less than five seconds.

"Cari's a witch and she's going to Hogwarts this year because she used my owl to write to Dumbledore. Spoiler alert, Seth and I can do magic too, like our mom, but we get homeschooled. Isn't that so crazy? Yay. Now it's all out in the open," she said in a single breath. "See? Told you it was easy."

Harry shook his head. "You're not a witch. If you were, Hagrid would've brought your Hogwarts letter too. We're the same age."

"Harry—" started Carina.

"You don't have magic. You would've told me."

Her eyes fell to the cobblestone sidewalk. He pulled her aside, ignoring his friends' questioning looks.

"How long have you known?"

"S—since I was six, I guess. I mean, I didn't know what it really was until Hagrid showed up but then he didn't have a letter for me so I just kept quiet. I wrote to Dumbledore when I was in California and he wrote back this morning. He said all those years of hiding it must've messed with the magic to track new students and it skipped over me."

"Why didn't you tell me? You had all that time after I got my letter last summer."

"I—I was scared. I saw how angry Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were when Hagrid was telling you everything, what they were calling your parents, and it reminded me of all the times they got mad when funny things happened around you. I—I didn't want to get thrown out."

"But you could've stayed with Olivia's family. Do you know how much I wish I could leave the Dursleys?"

Tears filled her eyes. "It's not the same. Your parents were both wizards. People here can tell you things about them. I don't know anything about my dad and Aunt Petunia is the only connection to my mom that I have. I know she hates talking about her but sometimes she will and I don't want to lose that because then, I'll have nothing."

He gripped her shoulders. "Hey, that's not true. You'll always have me, no matter what. If you're going to Hogwarts, they must know. How did you tell them?"

"I didn't. Dumbledore knows how anti-magic they are so he enchanted my letter to say that I was accepted to some fancy boarding school up north. Uncle Vernon will probably use that as an excuse to get rich people to buy his drills."

Harry introduced her to Ron and Hermione, who were extremely friendly and welcoming. Each had their own way of describing Hogwarts. While Hermione focused on the lessons and excellent teachers, offering to tutor Carina on what she missed the previous year, Ron went on and on about quidditch and the delicious food.

"You'll love Gryffindor. Everyone there is great," insisted Harry.

"Well, except Percy," pointed out Ron. "He's my older brother and a prefect so he can be a git."

"Older brothers always are," said Olivia. "You should meet mine. He'll bore you to death with facts about wizard history. Speaking of Captain Boring…"

Seth joined them outside the quidditch shop, his hands behind his back. He tensed up when he saw Harry by her side.

"What took you so long?" Olivia punched his shoulder. "He obviously knows so stop being awkward. We've all moved past it."

"Right. Good to see you, Harry. I was um getting something else off Carina's list."

Her eyes widened as he held up a black kitten, with white fur on its chest and paws. She was at a loss for words, watching him place it in her arms. As she and Olivia gushed over it, Harry looked at Seth strangely.

"You bought Cari a cat?"

"Well, you already have Hedwig so there's no point in getting another owl. I thought Carina would like her because she looks like the one she used to have, P—"

"Patches. I know." Hermione elbowed his side. "That's nice of you."

After tucking her new kitten, Boots, into the front pocket of her backpack, she hugged Seth, unable to say in words how much it meant to her. She felt a sharp tug on the back of her blouse.

"We should get going to Flourish and Blotts," said Harry, pulling Carina towards him. "Ron's family is waiting and we still need our books."

Carina had never seen such a crowded bookstore. Many middle-aged women, all gossiping about a Gilderoy Lockhart, were attempting to get through the doors. She recognized the name from the list, many of the books written by him.

A large banner was stretched across the windows of the shop, announcing his appearance at the store to sign copies of his autobiography. Hermione was the most excited to meet him.

"Who's Lockhart?" Carina asked Olivia, following the others into the shop.

"A famous wizard who's done all these crazy things like fighting werewolves and banshees. Most women like him because he's handsome but I don't see it. I'm surprised my mom isn't here. She loves reading his books."

Standing on her toes, Carina was not able to see much except a head of wavy blonde hair. Harry introduced her to the rest of the Weasleys: Mr. Weasley, who was oddly obsessed with muggles (people incapable of magic), Mrs. Weasley, a kind-faced woman that reminded Carina of her own mother, Percy, the uptight, strait-laced prefect, the twin pranksters Fred and George, and Ginny, the youngest and the only girl.

"Are you adopted?"

"Must be. Look at her."

"Fred! George!" snapped Mrs. Weasley.

Fred shrugged. "What? Harry said his family's a bunch of a foul-looking gits but she's not."

"Sounds like a valid question to me, Mom," said George, nodding his head.

"Honestly, you two. Your father and I have taught you better manners than that. Forgive them, dear. They're—Seth, is that you?"

Carina glanced back at Seth, who sheepishly adjusted his glasses. She looked at Olivia for an explanation but she was just as confused.

"It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Weasley."

Her eyes fell on Olivia. "And you must be Olivia. Look how much you've both grown. We haven't seen you two since—you must be nearly fourteen by now."

"Just had my birthday last May."

"And your mother?"

"Doing better each day."

Bored in the never-ending line, Carina decided to find the rest of her books. Dumbledore wanted her to get first year books as well, to allow her some practice over the remaining summer. It would be much harder to blend in if she struggled with basic spells. Through the bookcases, she caught a glimpse of Gilderoy Lockhart, a handsome man with an impossibly white smile. While many women swooned, she thought he looked rather arrogant, especially when he was surrounded by moving portraits of himself.

As she reached for a Fantastic Beasts book, a trio of girls in their twenties roughly pushed past her to cut the line, knocking her against the shelf. She winced, feeling the book hit the top of her head. The girls' derisive laughter rang in her ears and a burning sensation swirled in the pit of her stomach.

"Sunsets, fresh baked cookies, mom," she whispered, her nails digging into the shelf.

Once she was calm, she stepped back, wiping the blood under her nose. She went to grab the book but someone else beat her to it. The blonde boy from the ice cream parlor was behind her, holding the book. Seeing him for the second time, she noticed that he dressed in a similar preppy style to Seth though instead of jeans, he wore slacks. His clothes were covered by an expensive black cloak with a silver snake-like clasp.

"You're the ice cream parlor girl. You know you gave enough to pay for everyone there? Bet he's never seen that much money in his life."

"I have a name."

"I've never seen you around Hogwarts before." His eyes passed over her. "What house are you in?"

"None yet. I'm new. Can I have my book?" He easily held it above her head. "Please."

The boy raised his brow. "Are you always this nice, ice cream parlor girl? It must get tiring, spreading all that…what did you call it? Good karma?"

"Not at all. What's wrong with being nice? And I told you I have a name."

"I'd love to hear it."

"Here you are," she heard. "I can't take all these girls wetting themselves over some old guy. It's making me sick."

Olivia appeared at the end of the bookcase. Her eyes narrowed at the blonde boy, she snatched the book from his hand. She shoved him a bit too roughly and pulled Carina back towards the line.

"Why did you do that?"

"Trust me, stay far away from him. His family is the worst of the worst." She frowned when Carina wiped at her nose. "Did he—"

"No. I got pushed by these girls trying to get a better view of Lockhart and—it was nothing, Liv. How do you know—"

Their conversation was interrupted by several bright flashes, followed by a haze of purple smoke. Lockhart had an embarrassed Harry pinned to his side, boasting that he was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. An obvious publicity stunt, he gave Harry his entire collection of books for free.

"Conceited, party of one," joked Olivia. "Seriously, are you okay, Cari? If you want, we can go back to the house and Seth can get your books for you. All this craziness probably isn't helping."

"I'm fine." Her best friend was not convinced. "I have all the books I need. Let's just pay and then say goodbye to Harry and the others."

Just as she finished paying for her books at the counter, there was a loud commotion near the front of the store. Several bookshelves fell over and the assistant hurried towards the crowd in a panic. Over the assistant's pleas, she heard Fred and George cheer on their father.

As more shelves toppled over, sending books all over the floor, she saw Mr. Weasley fighting a man with shoulder-length white blonde hair. Hagrid, a gigantic bearded man, waded through the silent crowd, his gruff, booming voice bouncing off the walls.

Dodging a punch from Mr. Weasley, the man lowered his hand, towards a shiny black walking stick on the floor. The snake headed ornament began to jiggle then move slightly up, revealing what looked like a wand.

Thinking on her feet, Carina flicked her own wand twice. The walking stick flew into her free hand and Mr. Weasley, sporting a cut lip, and the man, his left eye blackened, were forced apart by an invisible force. Every single head in the shop turned in her direction.

"Cari, what did you—give it back to him," whispered Olivia, sounding uncharacteristically nervous. "That's Lucius Malfoy. He's dangerous."

Carina recognized the name Malfoy from Harry's stories. She doubted this man was his arrogant, obnoxious bully but then she spotted the boy near him, the one she had helped at the ice cream parlor, and the resemblance was striking.

In a sea of concerned faces, Harry's amongst them, only Fred and George grinned. Mr. Malfoy looked to his right, clearly expecting someone other than a petite, twelve year old girl. She kept a firm grip on the walking stick.

"Carina, hand it back, please," said Mr. Weasley, eyeing Mr. Malfoy warily.

"After he apologizes. He was going to hex you."

Mr. Malfoy's lip curled. Olivia snatched the walking stick and handed it to him. His eyes glittering with malice, he thrust a tattered book at Ginny before leaving the shop. His son quickly glanced at Carina then joined him.

Mrs. Weasley was shaking in anger, disapproving of her husband's public brawl. Olivia shared her anger, repeatedly smacking Carina's shoulder.

"Apologize? You don't tell someone like Lucius Malfoy to apologize unless you have a death wish. Have you lost your mind?"

"I was helping."

"How did you even do all that?" asked Harry, recovering from a near heart attack. "You've only had that wand for a few hours."

"I've watched Seth and Olivia during their lessons with their mom. I just thought about what I wanted to do and it worked."

Once they were safely inside the Leaky Cauldron, Hagrid greeting with a pat on the shoulder that nearly knocked her to the floor, she hugged Harry goodbye, promising to meet him at the train station. A sense of relief washed over her when they returned to the muggle world, Mrs. Fawley still out with her friends. Olivia walked into the kitchen for snacks, leaving Carina and Seth alone by the fireplace.

"You're sure you want to do this?"

His question drew her attention away from the flames. It was the first time he had spoken since the reunion with Ron's parents.

"It's going to be a lot harder, being in the wizarding world, surrounded by all that magic…"

"I—I'm a little scared but I think Hogwarts will help me get better."

"You know it might not be that easy. Not everyone is like my family, Carina. People like the Malfoys look down on muggleborns and being in that sort of environment—"

"Dumbledore wouldn't have said yes if he didn't think I'd be safe. Your mom's friends said that if anyone can figure out a cure, it's him."

"You're right about that. Let's uh make sure Liv isn't tearing apart the kitchen."

Carina began to follow him until she caught her reflection in the mirror. She stepped towards it, inches away from the glass. In the corner of her right eye, she noticed a tiny, wispy shadow.

"Cari! He's taking away all the good snacks!"

Olivia's voice snapped her out of a daze and just like that, the shadow was gone, her eye looking completely normal.

"Coming!"

Dropping her gaze to the floor, she headed into the kitchen.