Hey, so that's the second book. Sorry it took so long. ^.^

Disclaimer: do I look like I owned Harry Potter? Unfortunately no, this belongs to J. , and I don't think she'll ever share it with me.

Chapter 1: The fangs and the sword

Axelle's P.O.V.

The summer had passed sweetly, slowly, carefully. Between the family visits, the beach, the mountains … it had been wonderful. But September was soon waiting at my door and I received my book list, as we reached the end of our holidays in my grandparent's house in England.

"Whoaa, you're going to have a busy year, dear!" Mum told me, glancing at the paper.

"I'm going to miss you again." Orane told me (in French). "But I know you're going to have loads of fun and in 2 years I'll come with you." I smiled.

"I'll call your Aunt, she'll be happy to take you." My dad said, finishing his coffee (yes, my dad drinks loads of coffee, my mum too, and me too if I can)

"I'll call her myself!" I spoke out loud, thinking: "Yes! I love Diagon Alley, it's like the lands of all wanders for me!"

My aunt was indeed very excited about the project of going 'shopping for books', like she said, and at 2 pm, she was planted in front of my door, and we greeted her. I love my aunt; she's always so caring, so bright.

"We'll go by car and park nearby the leaky cauldron, is that OK sweetie?"

"Awesome!" As we reached the place, i bought ice cream for both of us and we entered, laughing, the sunny and warm alley. First we went to get money from Gringotts and then I bought a magical collar for my cat, duchess, it informs me if she is sick or has lice which can be very useful. Then we went to buy new ingredients for potions at the apothecary, meeting Mistral, the list was veeeeeeeery long and the prices too. We ended up with two big brown bags. Aunt Margot told me:

"Actually, it doesn't make too much... My 7th year list though... 3 pages long, and both sides too!"

"Well it was worth it, you did get an O in that subject right?" I smiled

"Yes, well you're not that bad either, you did get 96% last year..." she tossed back.

"Well yeah."

"Where next?" My aunt asked.

"Flourish and Blotts."

"OK." When we entered, a guy with big black curls welcomed us.

"So." I said, getting out my list. "'Transfiguration, grade 2', 'Perfect Potions II', 'Learn new charms...'" When we found all my books, my aunt told me:

"Now, I am going to buy you early birthday presents, I want you to choose a book that you Gran will pay and anything else from me."

"Oh cool! Thanks that's fabulous!" It took me a while to choose a book, in the end, I took 'A few famous magical animals'. I flicked through it and saw it included Merlin's unicorn, the dragon who saved the wizard village of Sorcera in California from a dark wizard, the first hippogriff whose speech was understood by wizards... It was so new to me, and interesting too.

"OK. Very good choice." my aunt said. She had chosen for herself a book, 'magical africa' because the guy with big black curls had talked to her a lot about it. We paid and left the shop, meeting a very hot 5th year I knew by sight and I smiled at him.

"Aiming high, aren't you Axie?" Aunt Margot said maliciously.

"Hey! I only smiled at him!" I protested.

"And you have other plans..." she added

"No!"

"Don't try denying it, I can read your mind..."

"You can?" I asked, my eyes wide.

"Yep." she replied, taking an important look.

"You're lying."

"No, I can! It is called Legillimency, the magical art of reading minds. You can block it by using Occlumency, to block the entrance to your thoughts. You learn that stuff in 6th or 7th year, it's quite complicated but useful..." she explained. I was starting to believe her but I promised myself to check anyway. "Do you want something from the broomstick shop as a present?" She certainly knew how to make me happy again.

"Yes! Let's go!" I said, taking her hand and running off. We finnally bought a pair of gloves for flying.

"They are extra adhesive to prevent sliding and increase the griping capability of the flyer, it also makes sure your hands do not get sore. That's why they are very good for tricks like diving up or down abruptly or making are very comfortable and aloud perfectly normal hand movemnets." The blond shop assistant had told us.

"Since she is seeker, it might be useful..." my aunt had hesitated.

"Yes, sure Madam, very beneficial, it can change everything!"

"OK then." she had in the end agreed.

"Thank you auntie Margot!" I exclaimed, hugging her and then we walked off carrying my package.

We normally spent a lot more time in diagon alley, but that day, the rest of my family was leaving by car to go back to France and, as I was staying at my gandparents' until I left for school, I needed to say goodbye, quite sad, I have to admit. My grandma put her arm around me and brought me inside.

"Really, you'll be going to school in two days, you'll see your friends, and until then you will be with your grandfather and me, you won't have time to get sad, with all the classes... You'll write owls home (yes, it's the magical branch of my family, my mum's parents and so my aunt's too, I forgot to mention...) and then you'll see them at christmas, don't worry love..."

"Yeah, thanks Granny." I replied, smiling at her, and feeling better. I thought of my friends, I had got many letters from them during the vacations, a quick muggle postcard from Marianne which said:

"Dear Axelle,

We're having a lovely summer, we are now

in the town we used to live in before, in Africa!

I saw all my friends again, even my teachers

and our old neighbours. The town hasn't changed

much, but didn't choose the best time of year

to go: it's dry and baking hot here, but we're all

very happy.

Hope you are equally having a great time,

Lots of love,

Marianne

PS: tell me what u r doing!"

and a longer letter from Dom which describe to me her trip:

"We travelled from France to Poland by car for once, and so stopped at all interesting places on the way: we visited Europa park for a day, a theme park with really cool rides like one which ends up in water so that you are soaking wet, it was so huge we probably didn't have time to see half the rides in one day, we also stopped in Strasbourg, which is a nice town, and then swivelled through Germany, ending up in Berlin. Berlin is very, very nice, full of historical resources, museums... i learnt a lot about the 1st and 2nd world wars, but in a very interesting way. It was all very sad though, we saw bunkers, part of the Berlin wall, museums about Jews... It's important we learn about these stuff to not repeat it. s

Anyway, we then arrived in Poland, in our house my mum designed and my dad built himself, ok almost himself, near Warsaw. I saw my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, my cousins... And on Tuesday I am leaving for a ten days camp with some of my best friends there, we will do a lot of sailing, and other activities, it's going to be awesome. I'll tell you all about it when we go back to school (awww :( lol i'm only joking, but it's true, we're till better on holidays right?).

Ah, and thanks for your letter, I was really happy to get it... 30 minutes before leaving for 6 weeks... that was very lucky!

Love you loads,

Dominika Sylvia Emma Malicka (formal!)"

I also got a letter from James telling me about how he went snorkelling in the canaries and was 'surrounded by fish and coral of all colours, more than I could ever have dreamed off' and I was relived by a note from Albus telling me they were having a fab time and that James was getting better, not so sad about Collin anymore...

Rose send me an owl to tell me about her very new experience:

"We took the PLANE to the United States! It was just an amazing experience! At first I as laughing my head off because I couldn't half believe that huge piece of metal was going to fly, with people inside by the way, but it did, and when I felt myself rising off the ground I nearly had a heart attack! I looked out of the window to see the town getting smaller and smaller and smaller... Hugo was thrilled too, and the other people in the plane were watching us suspiciously. MY mum told us a bit about how it worked and my dad was ill the whole flight. I have to say it was really long, a portkey would have been a thousand times faster, but it was a very interesting sensation, and the games, movies, and food were quite good."

Finally, the twins had sent a joint letter telling me about the incredible time they had, first in Hawaii, surfing, then in 'a nice place of the Italian Alps where it is very good for mountain hiking' says Scorpius, while Arachno adds: 'we hiked a lot. The scenery is very pretty, we are so much closer to nature that way and being with both our parents is a rare and precious time (with school, and work...) and so the hikes are just amazing, even though, as you probably get, me and Scorpius prefer surfing to walking...'

"I really do have good friends..." I thought.

I sat in front of the fireplace and started to read my book. It was in chronological order and I decided I would start from the end (or the most recent event, I know, it's logical, but it's me so...) As I opened that page, my mouth dropped open in ... surprise? admiration? shock? interest? The title was: 'the Basilisk' and I blinked as the introduction unrolled itself in front of my eyes. It clearly explained the basilisk was a large, poisonous snake that could kill or petrify with one glance, that Salazar Slytherin had put him in the 'Chamber of Secrets' and that HARRY POTTER (!) had killed it with the sword of Godric Gryffindor. I devoured all the pages which concerned the subject, they included a fact file about the Basilisk, the whole story in detail, facts about the chamber... and an interview of Harry!

"Gran, is it true, the Chamber of Secrets stuff, the basilisk, Harry Potter and everything?" I asked, boiling of excitement.

"Of course! And otherwise, it wouldn't be in your book, would it ? And you can ask your friends' father right?" I was really excited, and before we left, I reread the pages, again and again, remembering every single detail by heart, and automatically, nearly against my will, replacing Harry by James and Ginny by myself.