A Little Black

Prologue

"Anya!" called Veronica, "You have a letter!"

"Really? Who's it from?" a girl of about eleven came skipping down the stairs. She had bright blue eyes, a smattering of freckles across her nose and long, wavy black hair. All in all she was a very cute eleven year old.

Anya came to a stop at the doorway of the head's office. The office was a pretty cheerful place, just like the person who sat it in.

Veronica, the head of the orphanage that had always been Anya's home, was a very kind and happy person. She had long red hair and deep brown eyes that only showed how much she cared for the children. Young and energetic, she got along very well with the kids she takes care of.

"Where is it? I've never gotten mail before." Anya asked, positively bouncing up and down with excitement.

"Calm down, little one. You're gonna bust something." Veronica came over, chuckling, holding the letter.

"Oh! I wanna see it!"

"Alright, alright. Here it is."

Anya snatched the letter out of Veronica's hand, sat down in the doorway and ripped it open.

Veronica was watching the little girl with a smile. She knew, of course, what the letter contained. After all she got one just like it when she was Anya's age. That letter changed her life... hopefully Anya will be just as happy when she reads it.

She watched as Anya's eyes slid across the parchment, taking in the words. When she was done, she looked up into the head's eyes. Veronica couldn't read her expression.

"Is this for real? It seems like a joke one of the boys would play on me... How do I know whether or not this is true?" Anya asked, doubt clouding the happiness that should have been in her eyes.

"Come, I'll tell you all about it once we get inside." Veronica said, helping Anya to her feet and pushing her inside the office.

"Wait, you know about this?" Anya asked as Veronica shut the door to her office and moved to sit in the big, black, cushy chair behind her desk. Anya sat down in and armchair in front of the desk.

"Of course I do. After all, I went there too." Veronica said with a smile, pulling out her wand and twirling it between her fingers.

"But... I-you... Really?" Anya asked, completely speechless.

"Yup. If you accept we should probably take a trip to Diagon Alley soon..." Veronica mused out loud.

"Where?" Anya looked confused.

"It's where all witches and wizards go to get their things and do-dads. It's really a very nice place. Would you like to go?"

"Where? Hogwarts or Diagon Alley?"

"Both."

"Yeah! Ohmigosh it sounds so cool! What's it like? Are there other people my age? Do I get a wand? Do they fly on brooms? Oh! I bet I get to make things fly! Oh and-"

"Anya! Take a deep breath and calm down. All your questions will be answered in time. You just have to be patient." Veronica interrupted Anya before she would wet herself.

Anya huffed. She didn't want to be patient. She wanted to do magic! She had always wondered what all the weird stuff that happened around her was... well now she knew. She just never believed it would be this great. And Veronica was a witch too! Oh, this day couldn't get any better.

"Would you like to go to Diagon Alley today?" Veronica asked.

It just got a hundred times better!

"Yeah! Could we go right now?" Anya was bouncing up and down again, hardly containing her excitement.

Veronica laughed, "Yes, we can go now. Go upstairs and get your shoes on. I'll keep the letter here, in my pocket." Veronica said as Anya started to leave, skipping again.

"Oh! Anya?" Veronica called before Anya could go any farther.

"Yeah?" Anya stuck her head back into the room.

"Don't tell anyone about this, okay? I'll explain why later."

"Oh... alright! See you soon!" Anya yelled a bit too loudly and then skipped out of the room and up the stairs to get her shoes on.

"How are we going to get there?" Anya asked as she entered Veronica's office.

"Floo powder. It may not be the nicest way to travel, but it's the most convenient seeing as you cant Apparate yet. Listen carefully okay?" Veronica said, making sure Anya was paying close attention. "You take a pinch of this powder," Veronica held out a ceramic bowl filled with shiny green powder. "And throw it into the fire. The flames will turn green and only step into the flames if they're green."

"Step into the fire?" Anya asked, suddenly apprehensive.

"Yes, when the fire turns green it's safe to step into. Then you have to say the name of the place you want to go very clearly. If you aren't clear you might not get out at the right place. Keep your elbows in because they may knock into something. Make sure you don't get out until you feel like you should, alright? Watch me. I will wait for you to come out on the other side." Veronica finished her little speech and pointed her wand at the fireplace.

She muttered something under her breath and fire then appeared in the grate.

"Cool." Anya muttered, wide eyed. Veronica smiled.

She then took a pinch of the shiny green powder and threw it at the fire. It turned green, just like she said.

"Get into the fire and say 'Diagon Alley' very clearly. I'll see you there, okay?"

Anya nodded.

Veronica stepped into the fire and said loudly and clearly, "Diagon Alley." And then she disappeared.

"Oh my..." Anya said, her mouth opened slightly.

She then went over to the bowl and took a pinch of the green powder like Veronica said.

"This is way too complicated..." Anya whispered to herself.

She then walked over to the fireplace where the fire had turned back to normal. She threw the powder at the flames and they turned green.

She stepped in.

It felt like a warm summer breeze tickling her all over her body.

"Diagon Alley." She said, loudly and clearly.

Anya disappeared in a whirl of green fire.

A/N-

Hello! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! My updates are going to be very irregular because I never know when I'm going to have enough time.

I'm not going to beg for reviews... Aw who am I kidding, YES I AM!!!

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