"WHAT! Hogwarts! You must be joking!"

These were the last words Phoebe Katrene could civilly say to her parents that night in their penthouse in London. A home-schooled slip of thing that later sat in her room, her normally pale face red with fury, her usually playful blue eyes shining with tears, and her always groomed chestnut hair a mess of curls. Surrounded by the once friendly atmosphere of her room, she wept, until a soft knock at her door.

"Sweetie?" Her mother pushed open the glass door cautiously and entering the room.

Phoebe buried her head deeper into a particularly fluffy and voluminous pillow as her mom took a seat on her bed, stroking Phoebe's hair. Unfortunately, they didn't muffle her mother's next words, which pressed against her ear drums and made her heart sink into a pool of guilt.

"Phoebe, you know I don't want to send you there. But your father and I can't say no to Remus. He needs us, especially now that Dumbledore…" she trailed of, her eyes tearing. Dumbledore had been Mrs. Katrene's Headmaster, and a friend later on. Phoebe remembered how terrible the funeral had been, and how hard it was on her parents. She stayed silent while her mother recollected herself and continued. "I wish I could finish your education here but I can't have you somewhere that you will be in great danger. The Order of the Phoenix has ensured us that you will be safe, especially now that we have joined. Tonks is still stationed in Hogsmead. She agreed to keep an extra careful watch on you. I can't lose the most important person in my life."

Phoebe sat up, wiping the tears from her cheeks and nose with her hand. She looked at her mother.

"I'll go," she said throatily, "But only if you get me that backpack at Bocci's I've wanted for ages." She smiled feebly. Mrs. Katrene laughed and pulled her daughter into a hug.

"Where's Dad?" Phoebe asked.

Her mother laughed again, "Coincidentally, he's on his way to Bocci's."

Over the next couple of weeks, Phoebe prepared for Hogwarts the best she could. Lessons with her mother and father had resumed, despite the summer holidays, to be sure that she was up to scale for the seventh year curriculum at the school. They were pleased to see that their daughter was actually above average in her spell work for her age. Also in potions, a quality, her father would say with his chest puffed out proudly, that she had inherited from himself.

Her book list and Hogwarts Express ticket arrived in August, delivered by a handsome barn owl, .which allowed Phoebe to stroke his plumage while she read, and nipping her finger fondly before leaving.

"Who's owl was it?" asked her Mrs. Katrene, flicking her wand at a towel in the kitchen drawer, which energetically began to dry dishes.

"Hogwarts," replied Phoebe, pulling out the chair next to her to rest her feet on. Mrs. Katrene opened the cabinet above the stove and pulled out and old-fashioned bottle with an oak-colored liquid swirling inside. She flicked her wand at the dried dishes and two small glasses flew to the table.

"Thirsty? It's matured Mead from the Tree Broomsticks. We brought it home from our trip to Hogsmead last week," said Mrs. Katrene, pouring the liquid into the glasses and handing one to Phoebe. Phoebe excepted it thankfully and took a sip. Mrs. Katrene sighed and looked out the window at the shining building-tops of the city.

"We'll have to go to Diagon Alley tomorrow to get your things for school," she took a hearty drink from her cup. Then, as the telephone rang, she stood and walked through the door to the sitting room, leaving Phoebe to ponder about the trip to Diagon Alley.

"Wakee, Wakee sleepy head!"

The sound of the curtains being thrown back led to heat and a very bright light on Phoebe's sleep-worn face. She groaned and turned over, pulling the blankets over her head.

"Morning Glory!" Mrs. Katrene said cheerfully, "Breakfast is almost ready. Your father make French toast. Then he is off to work and we are off shopping!" She left the room and Phoebe grinned under her blanket. Shopping always put her mom in this mood.

Phoebe threw the covers off of her head, breathing in the summer air coming from her open window. She sat up and stretched, yawning widely and scratching her head. Then she stepped onto the carpet and groggily made her way to the closet.

Ten minutes later, a fully dressed and groomed Phoebe stood in the kitchen doorway, watching the antics of her parents.

"Hey, Sport!" exclaimed Mr. Katrene, standing at the stove cooking sausages in a large skillet, wearing a flowered apron over his muggle attire and sending the cooked sausages to the table with his wand.

Phoebe smiled at him and took her normal seat at the table, accepting a copy of the Daily Prophet from a tawny that had flown in the open window. She slipped a Knut into the pouch on it's leg and, taking a drink of Phoebe's orange juice, it flew away. Phoebe turned a threw the paper on the counter for her dad.

"Hope you guys are hungry!" Mr. Katrene said, rubbing his hands together and tucking in to his breakfast.

"Hello, Tom!" called Mrs. Katrene as they entered the pub, visitors turning in alarm. She raised her hand in the air and twiddled her fingers. Phoebe put her face in her hand and slinked in behind her. The toothless owner of the Leaky Cauldron walked forward to shake Mrs. Katrene's hand

"A pleasure, as always, Claudia," he said, "Would you like some tea and biscuits?" He began to make his way to the bar.

"Sorry, Tom. But we have to get Phoebe's school things," said Mrs. Katrene, stopping the landlord in his tracks. He turned inquisitively.

"School?"

"Oh, yes! I didn't tell you! Phoebe will be attending Hogwarts for the last year of her education. She'll be in Gryffindor, as Fletcher and I were." She beamed at Phoebe, who silently pleaded for her to stop being such a prat.

While Tom and Mrs. Katrene continued their conversation, Phoebe looked around the pub, taking in all of the visitors, sitting with copies of The Quibbler, The Daily Prophet and Witch Weekly. Some sat alone, eating soup or scones, and some sat in groups, deep in conversation over drinks. One particular visitor caught Phoebe's eye, and she seemed to have caught his, too. A pale boy with platinum blonde hair and blazing blue eyes was taking in Phoebe's appearance. She blushed and looked away when they made eye contact, but not before she took him in as well. He seemed very different from her. He wore a gray sweater with black pants, in spite of the heat, while she wore jeans and green tank top. His straight hair fell into his eyes with a certain elegance, her curls fell around her shoulders from the ponytail on the back of her head, and her bangs stayed stubbornly in her eyes. His shoes were high-quality and polished, her old Doc Martins were starting to wear out at the front.

"Claudia? Phoebe? Is that you?"

A plump woman with flaming red hair clambered over to hem, pulling Phoebe into a hug and wrenching her back into reality.

"Hi, Mrs. Weasely," said Phoebe, slightly muffled. Mrs. Weasely let go and held Phoebe at arms length.

"Why, Look at you! I haven't seen you since Ronald started school! You've grown so much!"

"Yeah, you know she actually looks like a girl," said Ron, stepping into the pub, followed by a bespectacled boy with messy black hair, and a girl with bushy brown hair.

"Glad I can say the same for you," said Phoebe cooly, putting her hands on her hips. Ron looked at her in silence, then a broad grin stretched across his face, and his arms opened to engulf her in a bear hug. They laughed as they broke apart.

While Mrs. Weasely and Katrene caught up, Ron pulled Phoebe over to the bar, the boy and girl following.
"Feebs, this is Hermione Granger," said Ron, introducing the girl sitting next to him with the bushy brown hair. She held out her hand and Phoebe shook it, smiling. "And this is Harry Potter."

"Well, of course I know you," laughed Phoebe, taking Harry's hand and shaking it, too. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all laughed.

"Well, come along, Phoebe, dear," chimed Mrs. Katrene, "We're going to do our shopping with Mrs. Weasely today." Phoebe took one last glance at the boy, who was still watching her. He smiled, and she blushed, walking out the back with her mother and the others.

They approached the hidden entrance way to Diagon Alley, Mrs. Katrene taking out her wand and tapping the brick which revealed the alley. The bricks separated, and Phoebe and her mother walked through the entrance, followed by Mrs. Weasley and company, into the crowds of anxious shoppers.