Chapter 1: Good News and Bad news

Hi everyone! ok well this is my first fanfic, so I hope you like it... Please have faith in me! And please review!

Note: I do not own Harry Potter. Sad, but true.

I ran through the streets of Little Whingey, my red hair streaming behind me. After running for three days from London to here, I must have looked like a crazy girl. With sticks and leaves in my hair, scratches on my face and on my arms, it was no wonder too. But my pursuers wouldn't stop for anything.

Why were they after me? I didn't do anything. I wasn't anyone special. I was anyone royal. My name was Vanessa Fairhest. I am 15 years old. I lived any ordinary life in London with my mum and my dad. Well, they weren't really my parents. I was adopted. But whatever. It shouldn't have mattered.

I turned up a street called Privet drive. There was a loud pop, but I took no notice of it as I ran down the street. The rest of the occupants of Privet Drive noticed, though. A boy of about 15 – my age, I noticed – stood suddenly from a row of flowers and hit his head on the window sill. When I saw him, I stopped suddenly. I had seen this boy before. Where, I had no clue. But it was important. I remembered that.

The boy took in my appearance carefully. Before he could say anything, a large, fat man poked his head out of the window, and told the boy, to come inside. To the rest of the street, he said something about a gunshot, and how he was scared by it. I didn't pay attention. That boy… Who was he? Why did he seem so familiar?

Someone grabbed my arm. I jumped and screamed, afraid of my pursuers. It was just an old lady.

"Come inside. I'll protect you." She said. Speechless, I nodded and went with her quickly, checking behind me for my pursuers.

Inside the lady's house, I went to the couch and sat down gratefully. I hadn't sat down in three days. The old lady came up to me and said, "What's your name, child?"

"Vanessa Fairhest." Stupid, I know, giving your name to a stranger. But I knew in my gut I could trust this lady.

"Pleased to meet you, Vanessa. My name is Mrs. Figg. I have some good news for you, and some bad news for you."

"Start with the good news, please." How much worst could this day get?

"You are a witch. I do not know your parentage, but it is obvious if you have lots of Death Eaters following you."

"Say what now?"

"Death Eaters. Followers of You-Know-Who."

"Who's that?"

"Never mind. Its not important. The bad news is that the only person who can still do magic just Disapparated, so we have to hurry and make sure Harry is okay."

"Who's Harry?"

"The boy who you saw outside."

"Oh. What could happen to him?"

"Your pursuers could catch him."

Oh boy. This day was so not going very well.