Chapter 1

Emma shivered as she sat on the cold, wet grass of her family home, Demasi estate. She knew she shouldn't be out on the grounds, so late at night, but the knowledge that she was a witch, not only a witch, but a Muggle-born witch, still hadn't hit, and she was waiting for it and knew it wouldn't end well. Her parents had coped with her magical abilities as best as they could, but because of her, until know, unexplained weirdness, the young girl didn't have any friends and was constantly bullied by those around her. She couldn't even walk down the street without being verbally assaulted by her classmates and neighbours her age.

She was attending Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry the very next day and was eager to learn magic at its finest, and Emma was pumped, but not entirely excited. She was upset she had to leave her parents and sister, her parents who loved and cherished her through everything, who stuck by her like a stick in the mud. Mr and Mrs Demasi didn't know what to expect from Emma's magical abilities, but still supported her whole-heartedly, secretly hoping their daughter would finally make good friends.

An owl sounded from the house and not for the first-time Emma was glad she had means of contacting her parents, but mostly her older sister Mina. Mina was, by Emma's standards, the best sister ever, not to mention older sister. She stood up for her no matter what, even when her friends were determined to be cruel. She heard Hoot fly to her shoulder, she could tell her new companion was wondering why her mistress was sitting out in the dark night. Emma stroked Hoot's feathers affectionally, already, Hoot was her best friend.

The girls in Emma's grade never liked her, and the boys often picked on her for tiny things, things they would never pick on others for. Having no friends, Emma spent a lot of time reading, and now that she had a set of new books she needed for school, she did almost nothing else. Potions were her favourite book by far, she couldn't wait to use it, but she also wanted to learn charms. After reading Hogwarts A History, Emma was curious to see which house she would be sorted into. Professor McGonagall, the teacher that had come from Hogwarts to tell her and her parents about the school, told her that she was the Head of Gryffindor house, and the history book told her of the house traits. Emma believed she was suited for Ravenclaw, but Gryffindor would be nice.

She sighed, knowing that she should return to the house soon, but her greatest fear still remained. What if she wasn't accepted in the magical population? The Professor had explained that because she was Muggle-born, she may receive some mixed feelings towards her from other students, but what if they thought she was a, to use the word frequently used against her, a freak? All her life, her classmates and peers had thought her nothing but a freak, and Emma feared nothing would change once she got to Hogwarts. At least I have Hoot now she thought resignedly.

Walking softly and trying not to make much noise, the muggle-born witch opened the door and re-locked it, so her parents wouldn't find out about her late-night excursion, and tip-toed to her room. As she turned on the light, she gasped and nearly fell over, only to see Mina sitting on her bed smirking. Emma heaved a huge sigh of relief, she thought she was done for, for sure!

"Hey, Minnie…" she trailed off, knowing she had a lot of explaining to do.

"Out for a midnight thinking stroll?" To Emma's surprise her sister smiled at her, "Don't worry about it, I know you got a lot on your hands, and in your head, I'm not surprised you need to clear some head space."

"Yeah, I just…" Emma stumbled, unable to get the words out, Mina smiled affectionately and suddenly the words come pouring out. "I'm just gonna miss you so much, Mina! Even with Mum and Dad being, well, themselves, I'm still going to want to come home every day! I've never been to boarding school, what if I hate it? What if I hate the classes and teachers! What if… What is no one even likes me," she whispered the last sentence, terrified her fears would become a reality.

"Come on, Em! How can they not? You're a wonderful girl, anyone would be lucky to be friends with you!" Mina tried comforting her little sister, but Emma could not be assured. She pouted, her face screwing up, which suggested she was about to start crying. Mina softened, Emma rarely cried.

"But what about those kids out there?" she pointed out to the window where there seemed to be a party going on. She had seen the invites to that party, all fancy and colourful, kids everywhere flashing them around in front of her, plainly so she could feel bad. No one had bothered to invite her to a party, even out of guilt, for five years, after Jerimiah Hal's 6th birthday party. His mother made him invite everyone in his class, which meant she got to go too. Jerimiah wasn't too upset over it, Emma had been and still was, quite a cute child. Her thick, long brown hair had been the envy of many students, until the party. She had let accidental magic out when pushed over to get to the cake. The cake had, well… exploded.

"They just don't understand you like I do, Em!" Mina cried out, not quite loud enough to wake up her parents, but she knew they would have to tread carefully if they were to continue the conversation. She continued on with passion, "They don't you like I do! They don't about the time you helped a baby turtle reach the water at the beach or the time you watched a boy drop his ice cream and bought him a new one, or even about how you put money into every charity you see, after the time your own failed!" Emma smiled slightly, it seemed to be working.

"You know what Mins? I reckon you're the best sister out there," she said, happily.

"You reckon?"

"I know."

Emma jumped up suddenly and pounced at her sister, who had to try her hardest not to screech. Before the girls knew it, a silent tickle war had begun. It was very difficult, keeping quiet. The aim of the game was to try and make the other make the loudest noise, and when Mina finally let out a loud shriek of mirth, she leapt across the room and exited, just short of Emma's parents finding them fast asleep with the lights out, and nothing out of the ordinary.

Emma woke up the next morning after having a particularly startling nightmare and immediately went downstairs, drifting tiredly towards the scent of bacon and eggs and only tripping once. Emma was a complete klutz. Mr and Mrs Demasi were already seated at the table, eating and having a quiet chat and Mina was cooking herself and Emma breakfast.

"Morning Sunshine!" Mina called out to her, passing her a plate of bacon and egg while putting bread in the toaster, "There's toast coming, can't have you going to school on an empty stomach!"

At this Emma's parents, both turned to their youngest daughter with the same look on their faces. After a minute of watching Emma eat her breakfast, her father made the first move.

"So, Em…" he started, but drifted off, not knowing what to say. Emma figured where this conversation was going to take a turn to, and wanted it over and done with.

"Yes Dad?" she asked sweetly, "Did you want to talk to me about something?"

"Yeah, uh…" again, he couldn't work up the courage to say something.

"Are you sure you want to go to that school, honey?" Hope Demasi was not a woman to let anything get in her way, "After all, it is a long way away if you want to come home early you can't. Plus, you can only come home for holidays."

"I know Mum, but don't you think I need a break from the kids out there?" Emma pointed helpfully outside where two of the boys began walking to school. They looked in and sneered at her, giving her point so much more of the upper edge.

"Yeah, I know but…" this time Hope trailed off. She sighed, "Ok honey, but we'll miss you, and we are entirely supportive of your choices no matter what they are."

"Thanks, Mum, thanks, Dad, I love you," she jumped up and hugged them, "I'll see you during the Christmas Holidays."

The Hogwarts Express was… magical, there were no other words to describe it. Simply magical. Emma slowly walked towards it, unable to believe she was about to go to Hogwarts, a magic school, and finally get away from the kids on her street and at her school.

She pushed her trunk forwards and was about to hop on when she was stopped by two older teenagers, a boy and a girl. The boy had long, slimy blonde hair and the girl was beautiful, but with a crazed, mental look about her. She had long black curly hair and a pale complexion.

"Can I help you?" Emma asked, suddenly nervous. They had the same attitude about them as the kids on her street like they owned the place, and like they were looking at a slug. She had a feeling this would not end well, and before she even made it to school!

"Yes, you can leave, muggle," the boy spat out the word in disgust. Emma noticed he was wearing green and silver robes which meant, according to Professor McGonagall, they were in Slytherin. She had been told by the Professor that they took blood status extremely seriously, and some may harass other Muggle-borns. "We don't need your kind here; I don't know why you were even let through the barrier."

"Yeah," the girl sneered snobbishly, her beauty enhancing her words dangerously, "Why don't you just walk on through the barrier and behave like the filthy muggle you are?" Emma bit back a cry. Swallowing back her sobs, she took a big step back.

"I belong here as much as you, so, if you'll excuse me I have a train to catch," she said shakily but was interrupted by a want pointed straight to her head.

"Don't. Even. Think. About. It." The boy said dangerously but was stopped by a young boy around Emma's age. He had longish black hair and wore plain robes instead of house robes, which meant he too was a first-year like her.

"Come on Lucy, Bella, you don't want to get in trouble the first day back," he said cautiously, stepping in front of Emma, shielding her with his tall frame, "It's really not worth it, you know how many Muggle-borns will be at school, it's something you need to learn to deal with." Emma marvelled at how he managed to not sound both for or against the idea.

"Black, I see you are starting school this year," the boy nicknamed Lucy stated expressionless, "You have a lot to learn." The boy pulled a face. He may have been tall against Emma, but he was still a first-year and the two in front of them towered over them.

"Sirius! I'm so glad you ran into us!" the girl named Bella (or maybe that was just a nickname) exclaimed, "Oh cousin, Slytherin will be proud to have you join us!" So, they were in Slytherin.

"uh huh, now if you'll excuse me, I have a fellow first-year I need to escort to the train," the boy, whom Emma supposed had the name of Sirius Black, said. Without waiting for confirmation, he grabbed her arm gently and dragged her to the train, luggage and all.

Emma felt a little breathless from the interaction, partly because of the shock of being picked on so early and suddenly, and the shock of having someone stand up for her. "Uh… thanks."

"It's fine, now are you ok?" he said, looking at her in his compartment with blue-grey eyes, "I know best that Lucius and Bellatrix can be pretty harmful."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Great actually," she grinned, "Thanks for sticking up for me." The boy looked confused for a second, studying her carefully.

"What, haven't you ever had any friends before or something?" he said, making Emma's breath catch in her throat, "oh, and again, it's fine," he waved off her second thanks. Emma stood there, wishing the ground would swallow her whole. What was she going to say? If this kind boy knew she had no friends, he would desert her for sure.

"Of course I have," Emma wasn't a bad liar, she was a terrible liar.

"Doesn't sound like you've had many good ones," he observed, and the young girl mentally cringed, he was spot on, "So I'm gonna be your friend, whether you like it or not." He grinned down at her, and she grinned back. A thought seemed to strike him, and he immediately put Emma's luggage on the compartment above. He gestured for them to sit down. The train started with a jolt, and the two talked for a while.

"Wait, why are you being so kind to me?" Emma asked suddenly. Realising this was rude, she thought out her words carefully, "Not that I don't appreciate it of course," Sirius's eyes were half confused, half amused, "but your… cousin? Said you were going to be in Slytherin, and I thought Slytherins were against muggle-borns coming to a magical school."

"Oh, that," he waved it off, "I'm not going to Slytherin, no way, I'm going for Gryffindor!" but there was fear in his eyes, well covered, but fear none the less. "What about you?"

"Gryffindor for sure!" she said excitedly, she was about to add that she was super excited for Hogwarts when the compartment door opened. A boy with messy black hair, hazel eyes and big glasses strolled in, being tailed by a nervous looking plump boy with mousy brown hair. Sirius raised an elegant eyebrow at the boy in the lead, and he stumbled slightly.

"Uh, hey? Can I sit here with you guys?" he asked, and Emma nodded and Sirius sat back. "I'm James Potter, and this is Peter Pettigrew, we're both First-years. Who are you?"

"Emma, Emma Demasi," she mumbled, looking down, as did Sirius. Emma wondered whether being a Black was a bad thing.

"Sirius Black," the effect was astounding. James jumped up and Peter flinched. So being a Black was a bad thing. Emma giggled at their reaction.

"A Black? Sitting with a muggle-born?" James said as if he was asking if the sky was pink and the grass was purple, "What are you, a deformed Slytherin?"

"No," Sirius said calmly, he seemed to expect that reaction from everyone, "Actually, I'm not exactly bargaining on myself being Slytherin." James sat down again, looking shocked. He glanced over at Emma, before heaving his trunk up to the compartment and helping Peter with his. Silence followed that, before Peter turned to Emma curiously.

"Are you really a muggle-born?" James rolled his eyes and Sirius watched on, amused. "I mean, of course you are, but what's it like being raised by Muggles?" Emma sighed.

"I guess it's no different to being raised by a witch or wizard, except no magic I guess," she said, "Some of the muggle kids seem to know there's something off about you, though."

"Did they treat you badly?" Sirius asked, "I can beat them up if you want?"

"Nah, they mostly ignored me," this was a half truth, "No need for violence," Emma grinned, glad to have a friend keen on defending her if needed.

"Are muggle children weird?" James asked curiously, gazing at her in fascination.

"No," Emma said, slightly defensively, "My older sister is a muggle, and she's probably the best sister ever."

"I'm an only child, I wouldn't know," James said, and Peter nodded in agreement. Sirius said he was an older brother, he had a younger brother named Regulus, who was the favourite. They talked endlessly, bonding over simple matters. And food.

It started raining outside, and Emma's mind drifted off to a place she had tried to avoid the past month.

One Month Ago

"I'm going to a boarding school, some place in the Highlands of Scotland," Emma explained, "I'm sorry Jane, I'll be able to visit you on the holidays."

Jane looked at her curiously, "What's the school for? Some girls were saying you were going to a special school," Emma looked sullen, of course there were rumours going around, but no one could know the real reason she was going to Hogwarts. That would be breaking the Statue of Secrecy, she would be put in some sort of wizarding prison for that…

"No, it's just a school my parents wanted to send me too, you know… cause of the kids in our school," she finished off lamely, even though that was one of the reasons she was so excited to leave, "I'll really miss you." Emma was hosting this last sleepover with her best friend in the world, Jane, as a goodbye. Jane was upset when she found out about the boarding school, but there was something off with her voice.

"Wait, so you're not going to a special school for freaks?" Jane sounded genuinely shocked, and hurt flashed in Emma's eyes, "I guess they were wrong." Jane stood up suddenly, "What's the real reason for you leaving, Em? I'm your best friend, you have to tell me."

"Why?" Emma was suddenly defensive, even though she didn't want to lose her only friend, "I've already told you the reason, and you never tell me anything to do with yourself." Jane was getting angrier and angrier.

"You don't think it's been hard, my being around you, let alone friends? They told me I'd be rewarded for sticking around you, learning things about you!" Emma was shocked, she couldn't believe all those years, Jane had been faking their friendship. Her eyes welled up with tears. She had one question.

"Why?" Jane stopped and looked and at her. For a second, there was a flash of grief in her eyes, but it was immediately wiped from her face and replaced by mercilessness.

"Because you're a freak," the words rang loudly in her head, like church bells that never stopped clanging.

The words never stopped haunting her.

"Emma? Earth to Emma," Sirius was talking to her, but Emma was only just trying to drag her mind away from the door that concealed the most hurtful memories, "Hey, you ok?" Emma's eyes flashed open, completely alert.

"Sorry, I was miles away, what were you saying?" Emma tried to look composed, but she didn't think she convinced anyone.

"I was just saying that I think we should be getting close by now," James said, excited suddenly. This time, Emma's grin was genuine. She noticed they were all fidgety. They turned a corner and suddenly Hogsmeade station was in sight. Emma was confused, she didn't think she had been away for that long.

With another jolt, the train stopped and Emma's new life started.

A/N: Hi! So, this is the first chapter of my favourite by far FanFic, so please, let me know your opinion! The next few chapters are pre-written, so expect another in the next 5 or so days from now.

At the start of each chapter (besides this one, of course) I will be writing a short previously statement that just says what happened in the previous chapter.

I'm not going to be one of those authors who beg for reviews and stuff, even though I really would like them, so don't expect me to beg, leave one if you want, it's up to you!

Emz Fan

Edit: Emma's last name changed to Demasi (prior to edit it was Cartridge).