"Abberley, Angela." I think that's the moment when my life went to hell. Slowly I make my way up to the woman holding a ratty old hat in her hand. I turn around and face the hall full of kids of all ages, sizes, mental capacity… haha good one Angela! Why couldn't they the old lady start with the end of the alphabet and work her way to the beginning. I, in no way, wanted to go first. Gracefully I go to sit on the stool only to realize that my left foot had 'gracefully' kicked it over.

"Heh my bad," I pick up the dang stool while the entire hall is beside themselves with laughter. Professor McGonagall clears her throat and everyone quickly quiets down. My face feels like it's as red as the flag above one of the center tables.

I sit and the hat was placed on my head. I knew what would be coming but that didn't seem to matter to my body because it still reacted rather amusingly when the hat spoke. "My, aren't you the clumsy one. You think you would learn to be a bit more patient because of it; but I can see that you are in deed not the one for patience." I'm sure I look like how I feel… a bug being dissected… while my brain is anyways. What, with the creepy hat stalking every thing that makes me… me. "Quite loyal, that's a good trait to have. Not very bright," Was I just insulted by an accessory? "You seem to be a hard worker to make up for that though. And a sense of humor to hide it." I'm speechless for once in my life I have nothing to say. How dare this piece of fabric render me incapable of speech? "A bit on the cautious side are we?"

"Hufflepuff!" Yay I can go and try to blend in now and forget that I exist for a moment. Being as clumsy as me makes the impossible. On the way towards the table I stumble over another first year's foot.

"Sorry," I mumble and quickly take my seat at my table.

Over Christmas break I go home to visit. Over dinner the first night back I tell my mother about my friends and classes. I told her all this already we owl each other every day. But she wanted me to tell her every thing from the beginning once more.

The third night my grandmother stopped by for a visit. I've never met her before; she's my grandmother from my father's side. As far as I know she refused to come to my parent's wedding because she strongly opposed it for some reason. When my mother and father were dating she liked my mother well enough. I guess for a young Slytherin to date a Gryffindor is fine while still at school. Chalk it up to youthful naivety. But once you graduate it seems you are expected to settle down with only the best of the best. I guess mother didn't measure up.

My father would never allow this crazy broad to come here and treat us this way; as if my mother was her own personal slave. I didn't even exist to her. I guess that's a good thing? Unfortunately my dad died a few years before my 11th birthday.

A few days before I had to go back to school I was hiding out in my room. It was dark out and there was a storm. A blizzard would be fun but the old bat had enchanted the whole estate so no snow would fall on it. Ever since she got here the place was slowly losing all the vitality that it normally had. The light gray bricks that made up the mansion seemed to have become darker... how crazy is that? I think I'm losing my mind. Who can blame me I'm a flower that thrives in the light. The house has been devoid of said light for days.

I feel sapped of all energy so I lay draped across the end of my bed. I haven't seen my mother all day. Hopefully she managed to stay out of the old buzzard's way. I think I'll do something about the situation. I've had enough. This was our house not hers. She thinks she can come ruin our lives because she's a bitter old woman with no one to love her; she's mistaken.

I flip my legs up and over my head and manage to land on them instead of my head. The one time I manage to be all cool with getting off my bed and there is no one around to testify to my feat. Useless. I let my legs buckle for the fun of it and collapse on the floor. Well that was a blast; lets go find my mom and that woman.

The hall is dark; almost pitch black, I can see well enough not to run into anything. Damn it only when people aren't around, I'm able to do the simple things… like walking. I stand still long enough to listen for sounds, nope nothing. Would it kill some one to make at least a small throat clearing sound? I walk towards the stairs and peer down into the darkness. Dang where did the time go? Was I really staring at the ceiling for hours? I could have sworn it was only 5 in the evening when I originally laid down and found the ceiling of my room oh so fascinating. It didn't feel like more then an hour at most.

Still hearing nothing, I slowly descend. At the bottom step I lean out and crane neck to look around a corner. I didn't step down yet. Who knows, the floor might be lava; or something equally strange and random like that. Since that was highly unlikely I stepped down and walked in the direction of the sitting room.

Nope still nothing. No signs that some one was here. Not even any guano. Heh, because, heh, old bat…guano. Wow that was lame I'm glad it's only me here to hear this rubbish I'm thinking. KITCHEN! Maybe the bat found a delectable and unfortunate little mouse whose head it could bite off. Blegh! I could have gone with out that visual… although now that I replay it in my head a few times… its kind of funny.

Kitchen was deserted. Boo, no food cooking. Since I'm here anyways let's raid the fridge for a little something, something to munch on. Oh my, what pretty lighting. I've never seen it flash anything other than its normal whitish blue. WAIT A MINUTE! Rushing to the kitchen window I throw open the curtain.

My blood runs cold. Snack slides out of my hand onto the floor; forgotten. Outside on the lawn my mother and grandmother are having a stand off. I can't quite make out what's being said over the thunder but since I can tell that they are in fact saying things it must not be good. The only way you hear talking over thunder is if some one is yelling… or screaming…

"MOM!"

"Good evening Angela. How are you today?" The headmaster of my school sits next to my bed. I don't pay much attention to him though. I simply go about staring out the window. It's a bright and sunny day outside of St. Mungo's but it all seems kind of dull and faded to my eyes. Funny all colors seem faded to me. I haven't been right since that stormy night last year. Although I can't remember any of it; or the past year for that matter.

All I know is that I woke up last week here in St. Mungo's an orphan. No family to call my own. I know I had one, but I seem to have misplaced them and the majority of my memories that involved them. Like I seem to have misplaced my voice. I had wanted to greet the Professor but I couldn't seem to form the words. So I smiled instead, but my reflection on the glass shows that my smile has left me also.