Prologue:
The soft light that iluminated the empty compartment greeted her. She looked around and sighed. Her heart was beating fast with anticipation. What would Hogwarts be like? Would they accept her ok? Someone had mentioned Harry Potter attended Hogwarts, would she meet him? She could only hope...and dream.
She sat down on one of the cushioned seats and leaned a bit until she could clearly look out the window. Her father was waving at her from the platform and smiling proudly. She knew he was very happy for her. He knew she was destined to this since she was born...or even before...It was the culmination of a dream, and the start of a new life. Her mother would be so proud...
Her mother....Elise....Elise....it was like music to her ears. She felt her eyes getting wet and blicked fast. She didn't want to cry. She missed her mother, who wouldn't? All she had left to remember her by were her pictures. She always longed to know what it felt like to have a mother. She was so young when she died, so very young...yet she could still remember the moment, the blinding flash of light, the scream, the laughter and the confusion it bought. How could a one year old understand that kind of pain? And how could she keep a secret as big as the one she knew she had to keep?
Chapter 1
Harry, Ron and Hermione walked down the now empty corridor in search for an empty compartment. Hermione kept opening doors and finding herself facing full compartments until she grew exasperated and asked Harry to keep looking.
"This is insane! Since when does Hogwarts have this many students?" said Ron getting frustrated.
Harry laughed and opened the last compartment. It was usually empty. Today it was occupied by one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. Dark, curly hair, dark, mysterious eyes and lightly blushed cheeks. She smiled as he poked his head in the compartment.
"Uhmm....hi....well....I was just wondering...would you mind terribly if we sat here with you? Everywhere else is full" he said stuttering a lot and blushing in the end.
She smiled again.
"I don't mind, come on in" she said in an American accent, lightly marked by the british one.
Gratefully, Ron, Hermione and finally Harry walked in. Ron and Hermione sat the in the two seats in front of the unknown girl and Harry by her side. They all smiled a bit awkwardly, not sure of what to do next.
"Uhm...well, I guess introductions are due...my name is Sydney Ann Lander, you are?" she said stretching her hand towards Hermione.
"Hermione Granger" she said taking Sydney's hand and softly shaking it.
"Ron Weasley" said Ron shaking her hand after Hermione.
"Harry Potter" said Harry looking at her to see her reaction.
To his surprise, her eyes seemed to get watery. She blinked fast to stop herself from crying and slowly placed her hand on his.
It was like a flash of energy. As soon as their skin touched, Harry felt warmth spreading steadily from his hand to his arms and into his very heart. For a moment, everything around them seemed to dissapear. Ron, Hermione, the compartment...all was gone. The only thing remaining was Sydney.
Suddenly, as fast as he felt the warmth, he felt a strange feeling of coldness creep back into his body as she slowly let go off his hand. He looked at her, his eyes narrowing in protest. But Hermione was asking her something, so she wasn't aware of his look.
"You don't look like a first year, yet I have never seen you before" she said softly. "How old are you?"
"15" said Sydney looking down at the floor, her eyes strangely sad. "I will be attending 5th year..."
"That's our grade!" pointed out Ron smiling warmly at the beautiful girl.
"Really?" she asked smiling more. "Cool!"
"Your accent is not british..." blurted out Hermione before she could stop herself.
Sydney had a fit of giggles before answering her unasked question.
"I was born in London, if that is what you wonder. But I have spent the last 4 years of my life in the United States...Florida to be exact" she explained. "I was attending the American Witchcraft Academy"
"Only witchcraft?" asked Harry curiously.
"Yes, girls only...But, well, I always hoped to be accepted at Hogwarts. But for some strange reason, I was not...and I got a letter of acceptance from the American Academy, my father and I, though greatly disappointed, knew I had to have my education, and we moved there..."
"But that still doesn't explain why you are here" blurted out Hermione.
Sydney couldn't help but look at her a bit hurt and continue her story.
"As I was saying...This summer was starting off as any other, but one day I got a letter...." she said sounding a bit mystified. As if the arrival of that letter had hurt her somehow.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out an old piece of parchment. She handed it to Harry who took it, opened it, and smoothed it out against his leg. He began reading out loud:
~Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry~
~Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore~
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed of Wizards)
Dear Miss Lander:
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Hermione, Ron and Harry looked at each other with wonder shining in their eyes. Carefully, Harry took the yellowing parchment and folded it as it was before and gave back to Sydney, which placed it back on her pocket.
"That is the same acceptance letter we all got..." said Harry sounding breathless.
"Yes...and I finally got it. Four years after it was sent...I contacted Professor Dumbledore and, well, here I am" she said sounding a bit happier. "All my life I have been wanting to study in Hogwarts! I can't believe I will finally be doing so! My mum studied here..."
"Who was your mother?" asked Hermione.
Sydney seemed to be getting annoyed by Hermione's endless questionaire and chose to ignore the question. She was about to ask again when the plump witch pushing the candy trolly peered in.
"Anything off the trolly, dears?" she asked fondly.
At once, Sydney jumped up from her seat and bought some things to eat, leaving Harry, Ron and Hermione with a lot of questions burning on their minds.
The soft light that iluminated the empty compartment greeted her. She looked around and sighed. Her heart was beating fast with anticipation. What would Hogwarts be like? Would they accept her ok? Someone had mentioned Harry Potter attended Hogwarts, would she meet him? She could only hope...and dream.
She sat down on one of the cushioned seats and leaned a bit until she could clearly look out the window. Her father was waving at her from the platform and smiling proudly. She knew he was very happy for her. He knew she was destined to this since she was born...or even before...It was the culmination of a dream, and the start of a new life. Her mother would be so proud...
Her mother....Elise....Elise....it was like music to her ears. She felt her eyes getting wet and blicked fast. She didn't want to cry. She missed her mother, who wouldn't? All she had left to remember her by were her pictures. She always longed to know what it felt like to have a mother. She was so young when she died, so very young...yet she could still remember the moment, the blinding flash of light, the scream, the laughter and the confusion it bought. How could a one year old understand that kind of pain? And how could she keep a secret as big as the one she knew she had to keep?
Chapter 1
Harry, Ron and Hermione walked down the now empty corridor in search for an empty compartment. Hermione kept opening doors and finding herself facing full compartments until she grew exasperated and asked Harry to keep looking.
"This is insane! Since when does Hogwarts have this many students?" said Ron getting frustrated.
Harry laughed and opened the last compartment. It was usually empty. Today it was occupied by one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. Dark, curly hair, dark, mysterious eyes and lightly blushed cheeks. She smiled as he poked his head in the compartment.
"Uhmm....hi....well....I was just wondering...would you mind terribly if we sat here with you? Everywhere else is full" he said stuttering a lot and blushing in the end.
She smiled again.
"I don't mind, come on in" she said in an American accent, lightly marked by the british one.
Gratefully, Ron, Hermione and finally Harry walked in. Ron and Hermione sat the in the two seats in front of the unknown girl and Harry by her side. They all smiled a bit awkwardly, not sure of what to do next.
"Uhm...well, I guess introductions are due...my name is Sydney Ann Lander, you are?" she said stretching her hand towards Hermione.
"Hermione Granger" she said taking Sydney's hand and softly shaking it.
"Ron Weasley" said Ron shaking her hand after Hermione.
"Harry Potter" said Harry looking at her to see her reaction.
To his surprise, her eyes seemed to get watery. She blinked fast to stop herself from crying and slowly placed her hand on his.
It was like a flash of energy. As soon as their skin touched, Harry felt warmth spreading steadily from his hand to his arms and into his very heart. For a moment, everything around them seemed to dissapear. Ron, Hermione, the compartment...all was gone. The only thing remaining was Sydney.
Suddenly, as fast as he felt the warmth, he felt a strange feeling of coldness creep back into his body as she slowly let go off his hand. He looked at her, his eyes narrowing in protest. But Hermione was asking her something, so she wasn't aware of his look.
"You don't look like a first year, yet I have never seen you before" she said softly. "How old are you?"
"15" said Sydney looking down at the floor, her eyes strangely sad. "I will be attending 5th year..."
"That's our grade!" pointed out Ron smiling warmly at the beautiful girl.
"Really?" she asked smiling more. "Cool!"
"Your accent is not british..." blurted out Hermione before she could stop herself.
Sydney had a fit of giggles before answering her unasked question.
"I was born in London, if that is what you wonder. But I have spent the last 4 years of my life in the United States...Florida to be exact" she explained. "I was attending the American Witchcraft Academy"
"Only witchcraft?" asked Harry curiously.
"Yes, girls only...But, well, I always hoped to be accepted at Hogwarts. But for some strange reason, I was not...and I got a letter of acceptance from the American Academy, my father and I, though greatly disappointed, knew I had to have my education, and we moved there..."
"But that still doesn't explain why you are here" blurted out Hermione.
Sydney couldn't help but look at her a bit hurt and continue her story.
"As I was saying...This summer was starting off as any other, but one day I got a letter...." she said sounding a bit mystified. As if the arrival of that letter had hurt her somehow.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out an old piece of parchment. She handed it to Harry who took it, opened it, and smoothed it out against his leg. He began reading out loud:
~Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry~
~Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore~
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed of Wizards)
Dear Miss Lander:
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Hermione, Ron and Harry looked at each other with wonder shining in their eyes. Carefully, Harry took the yellowing parchment and folded it as it was before and gave back to Sydney, which placed it back on her pocket.
"That is the same acceptance letter we all got..." said Harry sounding breathless.
"Yes...and I finally got it. Four years after it was sent...I contacted Professor Dumbledore and, well, here I am" she said sounding a bit happier. "All my life I have been wanting to study in Hogwarts! I can't believe I will finally be doing so! My mum studied here..."
"Who was your mother?" asked Hermione.
Sydney seemed to be getting annoyed by Hermione's endless questionaire and chose to ignore the question. She was about to ask again when the plump witch pushing the candy trolly peered in.
"Anything off the trolly, dears?" she asked fondly.
At once, Sydney jumped up from her seat and bought some things to eat, leaving Harry, Ron and Hermione with a lot of questions burning on their minds.