Most stories that you have heard have no doubt started out "In a world..." or "Once upon a time..." or "Once, in a city of..." Well, I can tell you right now, this is not like those stories. This is a story about our time now, our time in the eyes of a few different people. We are not like normal people, we have magical powers. Properties, if you will. My name is Cantara Worthings, and this is the story of how I lived through what would be known as the worst 9 years in Wizarding history.

XxXx

Dear Diary,

All my life I've been paired with someone. Not romantically, it's just that I've never known what it's like being congratulated for something that I've done. It was always Cantara and the Weasleys, or Tara and Fred, or Tara, Fred and George. I had started to believe that people never knew that I had a last name, or an individual personality completely different from the people that I was paired with . . .

But now I would give anything to be paired with Fred again. Just to remember how it felt. But that will never happen again. It will never happen because the man that I loved for so long is gone. Permanently. The only thing that I have to go on is memories, and they don't ever satisfy the longing that you have for them.

So now it is only Tara, or Cantara if you prefer to call me that. But, I've decided to tell my story, it won't help anyone but me. And possibly George. But at least people will be able to get the story straight on how Fred Weasley actually lived and eventually died.

-Cantara Worthings

XxXx

It was a sunny, summer morning. The sky was an azure blue and the clouds were sparse. Cantara, Fred and George had their faces upturned to the sun and smiles etched into their eleven-year-old faces. The sounds of owls hooting came from the distance. They all turned and looked at the ever-growing specs of black. Cantara stood up as the other two continued to stare dumbly at the sky. "It's our letter's!" Cantara called. The other Weasleys ran out of the house to see.

"Come inside! We'll wait for the there!" called Mrs. Weasley. The family went inside while Cantara went through the hedges to wait with her family.

"Where are you going?" Fred called to her from the window.

"I should wait with my parents! They'll want to see the book list and such. Plus they need to know that I'm actually going to Hogwarts!" she said over her shoulder. Fred nodded while he and his twin ducked into the Burrow. Cantara stepped into her own house to see that her owl had already landed and her parents were staring expectantly at her.

"Open it," her mother smiled while her father nodded. Cantara opened it and read the letter out loud.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Uniform:

First year students will require:

Three sets of plain work robes (black).

One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear.

One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar).

One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings).

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags. Do they really have to?" she whispered under her breath. "Course books:

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk.

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot.

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling.

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch.

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phylloda Spore.

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenus Jigger.

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by Newt Scamander.

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble.

Other Equipment:

One Wand.

One Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2).

One set glass or crystal phials.

One telescope.

One set brass scales.

Students may also bring an owl or a cat or a toad. Parents are reminded that first years are not allowed their own broomsticks!" Cantara looked up at her mother and smiled broadly.

"You've been accepted darling," her mother sighed as a knock came at the door. Cantara ran to get it, already knowing who it was. She opened the door and grinned even more brightly than before. There was the familiar red hair and freckles. Fred, George and Cantara said at the same time, "Diagon Alley." They collapsed in laughter.

"Who was at the door, sweetie?" her father asked from the kitchen.

"The Weasley twins!" Cantara called back. Her mother and father stepped into the living room and smiled brightly at the twins.

"Mum wants to know if you guys want to come to Diagon Alley with us," Fred said, George nodded and looked expectantly at Cantara's parents. Cantara looked up at them also and squealed when they nodded. Fred and George each clasped one of Cantara's hands and ran through the hedges and into The Burrow. "Mum! They're coming!" Fred and George said quickly.

"Oh, really? Hello, Tara, dear. Ronald! Come back here!" Mrs. Weasley said furiously as an eight-year-old Ron ran through the kitchen in nothing but his pajamas. Tara smiled and picked up a biscuit from the pan on the table. "Fred, George why don't you get ready to go? Oh, hello Allison. Hello Ted." Mrs. Weasley said as Cantara's parents walked through the door.

"Hello," they both said together. Tara ran into Fred and George's bedroom with the both of them. She had been here enough to know her way around this large house no problem. She sat on George's bed and sighed.

"What House do you guys want to get sorted into?" she asked quietly.

"Gryffindor," they said at the same time. "You?" Fred asked.

"I don't know. I mean, I guess it would be cool to be in Gryffindor. So many great wizards have come out of there...but what about the other houses? Wouldn't you like to be sorted into Ravenclaw? And be known for your smarts and not just your bravery."

"Who said anything about bravery?" George asked quietly, sitting next to Cantara and pulling her dark ponytail. This had been a habit with both of the twins since they were very young. Whenever Cantara thought about something too much and the twins got tired of it, they would pull either a lock of her hair or her whole ponytail. It was never really hard, just hard enough for her to stop thinking for a minute while she stared at George with fake hurt.

"Didn't you know that that's what Gryffindors are most known for?" both of the twins shook their heads. "Oh, I thought you would've. What with most of your family been sorted into it. Maybe I'm just thinking about it too much." The twins nodded and Cantara smiled. She could always count on these two being there for her. She was glad that out of all the wizards there are in the world, Fred and George were her best friends.

"FRED! GEORGE! TARA! GET DOWN HERE OR WE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO GET YOUR THINGS!" Mrs. Weasley yelled from downstairs. Tara looked up at the twins and grinned.

"Guess we were up here for a mite to long," Fred smiled. Tara and George laughed and stomped down the stairs. They saw everyone around the fire with the Floo Powder between them all. "Sorry, mum. We were having an intelligent conversation." George said with complete seriousness.

"You three? Having an intelligent conversation? I don't believe them!" Percy guffawed in their faces. Fred and George looked as though they could have killed Percy.

"All right. Percy! Stop torturing your younger brothers! Ron! Ginny! Grab my hands! Charlie you go first!" Charlie stepped up and put his pinch of Floo Powder into the fire, stepped into it and said loudly and clearly, "Diagon Alley!"

Percy went next, then Fred, then George and then Tara. When she said "Diagon Alley," she got a copious amount ash in her mouth and almost coughed. But remembered that she had to speak loudly and clearly. She was suddenly spinning in fire and then was spat out. She was lying on the ground next to Fred and George. "Well hello. Glad you could make it!" Fred and George said with a laugh. Tara stood up and bit her lip to keep from saying something incredibly mean to the both of them. Just then, Molly came from a grate with Ron and Ginny clasping her hands.

"All right. We only need your mother and father, Tara and then we can go on with our business. Hello, whats this?" Mrs. Weasley asked Tara. She looked down at her hand and saw the figure that George had drawn there two days ago. Tara looked back up at her and stared with fear filling her eyes quickly and surely. Mrs. Weasley looked at her sternly and Tara couldn't come up with a good enough explanation. "We'll just have to wait till your mother and father see this!"

"No!" she gasped. Mrs. Weasley, Fred and George looked at her with surprise.

"Why not?"

"Because—Be—Because, um, i-it's nothing. Just something I thought of and thought that it would be an interesting thing to draw on my hand."

"Mm-hmm," Mrs. Weasley said quietly. Tara looked at George with surprise etched into her face. She walked over to the twins and stood quietly while she waited for her parents to come.