Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter series, hence why this is fanfiction.

Chapter 1: Brave the Storm

The morning light filtered through the white lace curtains covering the windows of Netherwell Manor, brightening up the otherwise dismal and dark house. A black haired boy of sixteen strode gracefully up the winding staircase, his long fingers barely touching the railing. The boy was tall, over six foot by a good few inches. He had a slim, lanky, build with limbs that seemed to long for his body. His dark hair was on the shaggy side, and was parted in such a way that it covered his right eye almost entirely from view. His slender face seemed to be set in a permanent frown, his mahogany eyes narrowed, and his brow creased; but despite his sour expression, his gangly build, and his sickly pale skin; Kael Netherwell was considered attractive by most of the female population.

Upon reaching the upper floor of his home, the teenage boy let his hand drop lazily to his side. Taking long strides, he made his way down the corridor until he came upon the door he was searching for. He paused for a moment, before softly knocking. He waited for no less than five seconds, and then, hearing no answer, opened the door and walked inside.

Unlike the rest of Netherwell Manor, this room was simple. There were no expense artworks littered about, no silk sheets on the bed, no Persian rug on the floor. The room was mostly empty, and, save for the large bed and dresser, it looked more like a study than a bedroom. Kael glanced about the room, his nose scrunching up in confusion as he didn't see anyone.

"Kayla? It's almost time to go." He said, his bass voice softer than most people would ever get the chance to hear. There was no reply to his words, and the black haired teenager began to stroll around the room looking for its missing occupant. "Where are you?" He asked, concern seeping into his tone. There was a sudden sound from the bathroom adjacent to the bedroom, Kael immediately went towards the noise. He raised a hand to knock, but lowered it after realizing that the door was not completely shut. Slowly, he pushed the door open the rest of the way, his heart leaping into his throat at the sight that awaited him. There was his younger sister, her petite eleven year old body curled into a ball on the floor next to the toilet, her long coal black hair messily sprawled around her. Without a second thought, Kael rushed to her side, carefully putting a hand under her back and lifting her into a sitting position.

"What's wrong?" He asked hastily, his voice both rough and gentle at the same time. She mumbled something too quiet for Kael to hear, her small, trembling, hand moving her hair out of her face and tucking it behind her ear. She drew her legs back up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. Her reddish brown eyes stared at a tile on the floor, glistening with moisture though no tears escaped. She opened and closed her mouth wordlessly a few times, before she finally managed to speak coherently.

"I...I-I'm afraid." She choked out, squeezing her eyes shut as her voice cracked.

Kael felt his brow furrow in worry and confusion. "Afraid of what?" He asked, trying not to pay any attention to the smell of vomit that most likely came from the toilet.

"What if..." She trailed off, taking in a shaky breath. "W-what if I'm placed in Gryffindor, or Hufflepuff?"

The older of the two let out a soft chuckle, fondly patting the girl on the head. "Come now, I already told you it doesn't matter to me. No matter where you get placed, you'll still be my sister." He said, shaking his head with a small smile. Kayla didn't seem to be comforted by his words though, her hands gripped her arms tightly, and she buried her head in between her knees.

"It-it's not you I'm afraid of though." She admitted hesitantly, her soft voice muffled by her legs. Kael's eyes widened in understanding, and he clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing into a hateful glare.

"He won't touch you," Kael spat, disgust and rage evident in his harsh whisper; which caused Kayla to unintentionally flinch. Seeing this, Kael calmed his tone. "He won't hurt you, not anymore." He took Kayla's thin, much smaller, hand in his own. "I... I'll protect you. I'll make sure nothing hurts you ever again, least of all him." The dark haired boy promised, but for all he meant every word, something inside him still twisted uncomfortably. Part of him knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep the promise forever, no matter how much he wanted to. His words seemed to calm Kayla down immensely though, as she relaxed into a more normal position. She lightly squeezed the hand that held hers.

"Thank you." She said softly, looking up at Kael for the first time that day, a small smile lighting up her equally, if not more, pale face. Kael returned her smile with one of his own, affectionately ruffling her hair.

"Yeah, you're welcome, Squirt. Now come on, we don't want to miss the Hogwarts Express." He said lightly, before standing and helping Kayla to her feet.

Author's note: Hello readers, and welcome to my first fanfic. I have no beta, but hopefully I was able to catch most of my mistakes on my own. If you see any though, don't hesitant to point them out. Now then, on to the juicy stuff. If you'd like me to include your OC into this story, leave a review with their information. You can write as many as you want, but be aware that I may not accept all the characters offered. I will pick and choose who gets to be in this story (assuming anyone wants their OC to be in it in the first place). This story takes place after the epilogue of the seventh Harry Potter book, so the next generation will be included, though they will not all be main characters. Some of the OCs accepted may also be more of side characters, and if you'd prefer they be such you can just say so. Here are the roles that I need OCs for-

(updated 09-11-11)

1 Slytherin (preferably male)
1 Ravenclaw
2 Hufflepuffs

Transfiguration Professor
Muggle Studies Professor

I have a preference towards male characters, so they will have a higher chance of getting in. Here is all the information I need about your OC, you can feel free to add more if you'd like.

Name:
Gender:
Age: (11-17 for students, year will correlate. Try to keep girls between the ages of 11 and 14, I have enough that are older)
House: (Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Hufflepuff; no more Gryffindor students please. Change this to "Former House" if making a professor.)
Blood Status: (pure-blood, half-blood, muggle-born, or half-breed)
Appearance: (build, height, weight, hair and eye color, etc)
History:
Personality:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Turn-ons: (things that romantically attract them to a person)
Turn-offs: (opposite of the above)
Patronus: (no animals that a Harry Potter character already has)
Boggart: (what they fear most)
Classes: (2nd years and above must choose at least two of the following- Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, or Muggle Studies. All other classes are compulsory. Change this to "Position" if making a professor, followed by what class they teach..)
Extra Notes: (things like if you'd like them to be friends/enemies with a certain person, or if they have a crush on someone; if you want them to be a prefect, or anything else you think I ought to know.)