It may surprise many to know this, but my aunt was not always a cruel, crazy murderess. I think she used to love me. But Voldemort twisted her into something ugly, and she became a death eater.

My family name may as well be a curse. After all, my father was a death eater, my aunt and uncle were two of the worst death eaters, and my mother is absolutely mad. Like, truly mad. I was raised by a woman who belongs in an asylum. I was lucky I wasn't dead by the age of seven. That was around the time when I began taking care of her instead.

I only had one friend during those early years. His name was Scorpius Malfoy, and he lived across the street from me. He's a year older than me, and he went to Hogwarts last year, so I was pretty lonely, taking care of my mother. When he came back for the summer, I was glad to see him again. He told me fantastical tales of the school and his new friends.

His new friends even came to visit, and Scorpius became busy with them. We hung out less and less as the summer progressed. So, Scorpius wasn't around when I got my Hogwarts letter on my eleventh birthday on July eleventh, and I didn't tell him. But I was ever aware on that lonely, sad day with my mother that I wouldn't be able to go. I couldn't pay for the things I needed and I had no way to get to the train.

On August twentieth, you can imagine my surprise when there was a knock on my door. I was even more surprised to find Scorpius standing there. I opened the door quietly, moving so he could come in.

"Hello, Mrs. Lestrange. Hey, Phoenix. Um, I was wondering...can we talk? Alone?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. Hang on."

I went to my mother and leaned down to meet her eyes. She was sitting in her rocking chair.

"Mom, Scorpius and I are going to go out back, okay? Just yell from the back door if you need something."

My mother's vacant eyes lit up for a moment as she registered what I said, and faded back to her typical blank stare.

I started heading for the back door, but Scorpius wasn't following.

"What is it?"

"I just feel awkward walking around here now. It's been a while."

"You're still my best friend."

He chuckled, looking down at something in his hands. He peeked up at me from behind his messy blond hair. His grey eyes captured mine.

"I suppose I'm your only friend. I'm sorry. I should've written you more during the year. And visited more this summer."

I sighed. "I can't stay mad at you for anything," I muttered loud enough for him to hear. His face broke into a grin as I walked back and grabbed his hand, pulling him outside with me.

The one thing besides Scorpius that I like about my house is my backyard. It's the woods. When my ancestors claimed the land, they fenced in a big portion of the trees with the rest of the yard. Now it's the only piece of the forest left. I have a tree house, a hammock, and a great place for hide-and-seek.

Scorpius climbed up into the treehouse with me, and we crossed the bridge to the viewing platform. It's centered between a few trees so you can lay back and see the sky.

I laid on one of the sleeping bags and patted the space next to me. Scorpius sat with his legs stretched out, leaning back on his elbows.

"Your mother can't take you to get your things for school, can she?"

"I don't have money to get things for school. I'll just stay in regular muggle school."

"You don't belong with them. I think you'd be a great witch."

"But I can't go to Hogwarts, Scorpius."

"You got your letter?"

"On my birthday."

"They must really want you then. My friend Aubrey Wood said that she didn't get hers until a month before the new school year, and her birthday was in January."

"Is being in Ravenclaw good?"

"It was alright. We're kind of the brainiacs. Everyone expects our help with homework."

"I wonder what House I would be part of."

"You'd make Slytherin or Gryffindor for sure. My father says that's where most of really good witches and wizards go."

"Oh, but I'm sure you're fantastic."

"My strongest trait is wisdom. That's why I'm in Ravenclaw."

"You don't think the hat bases it off your family, do you?" I asked, thinking of my father and aunt and uncle.

"I've heard that you can sort of choose what House your placed in."

"Really?" I asked, interested.

"Sort of. I don't know how, but that's what I heard."

I was disappointed with his not knowing, but I didn't blame him.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyways. I can't go."

"What if I took you?"

"Took me?"

"Yeah, to Diagon Alley, and to school?"

"Well, that would be great, Scorpius. Really, I would appreciate it. But I can't pay for the things I need to get."

"I'll buy them for you. I'm sure my father wouldn't mind."

"Oh, no, I couldn't let you do that!"

"I want to. To make up for not writing or visiting."

"No, you can't possibly-"

"Come on."

He stood up, pulling me with him.

"What do you mean, come on?"

"I'm going to take you to Diagon Alley."

"Now?"

"Yes. And tomorrow, and the day after. And however many days it takes to get everything you need. You can have my old books. Everything else we'll buy new for you."

I looked at him in wonder.

"Well, come on."

We went back down into the house, told my mother we were leaving and would be back in the evening, and I went out with Scorpius.

"How are we going to get to Diagon Alley?"

"I'll show you."

He took me across the street to his house and walked in. I'd never spent much time in his house, and it made me feel awkward.

"Come in. My family doesn't bite."

I stepped into the foyer and kept my hands close to my body.

"We're going to use Floo Powder."

"Oh, I remember you telling me about this once."

"That's right. So, watch me, and then do the same thing, alright? I'll be right there when you come out." Scorpius took a handful of powder from a big jar and stepped into his fireplace. "Diagon Alley," he pronounced clearly and quickly, throwing the powder at his feet.

There was a moment of blue flames engulfing him, and then he was gone. I grabbed a handful of the powder and mimicked where Scorpius had stood.

"Diagon Alley," I said clearly in my small voice, and threw the powder down. I came flying out of a fireplace into somewhere unknown. Scorpius caught my airborne body and set me back on my feet.

"Welcome to the Weasley joke shop. They're pretty popular."

"But I doubt we'll find anything I need in a joke shop."

"No. This is just for fun."

I laughed as Scorpius led me around and pointed out a few things. We ended up buying some of Bertie Bott's every flavor beans and some bouncy goo that glowed in the dark. After leaving the joke shop, I pulled out the list of things I would need for the school year.

"You're sure you have all of these books already?"

Scorpius looked at the list over my shoulder. "Yeah, every one. We should start by getting your robes. We can wear what we like when we don't have class, but robes are necessary."

He pulled me into a tailor shop I didn't catch the name of and I was measured for robes. I got a lot of comments on how small I was, but my robes were ready in twenty minutes. I also got a hat and a pair of tough leather gloves that I found strangely comfortable. Scorpius said they were dragonhide. From there, Scorpius pulled me to a different shop, and I got a cauldron, glass phials, a set of scales, and a telescope.

The next shop Scorpius took me to was dim, musty, and quiet. Behind the counter were several long, thin boxes. Piles of them on the shelves. A wand shop.

The woman at the counter looked me over, and pulled a few wands down. She set them in a little line on the counter and opened one of the boxes.

"Eleven inches, cherry, and a kelpie hair core."

She handed it to me, and I gave it a swish. Wind whirled through the shop, making a mess. I set the wand back in her hands. She put it away. Another box opened, and it looked very different.

"Seven inches, hazel, and dragon heartstring."

This one felt dangerous, but I gave my wrist a flick. A blast shot out of the wand into the wood of one of the shelves. I jumped and smacked it down on the counter. She put it away, and opened a third one.

"Difficult one, aren't you? Try this one. It's not like your mother's or father's, but like your aunt's."

I gingerly took the wand in my grip and twirled it. A blast of electricity whacked into the wall a few inches from Scorpius's face.

"No, no, no." The woman took the wand and put it away.

"It is a good sign that you're not going to be like your family. But it makes this more difficult."

She gave me a solid look, up and down. I fidgeted under her gaze. She found my eyes, and hers widened.

"I wonder...here, try this one."

She went back amongst the shelves, far back, and dug out a very old looking velvet box.

"Twelve inches, hawthorn, and unicorn hair."

The wand did absolutely nothing in my hand. It was quickly traded out. The new box was made of real wood and was so worn that it bent to the touch.

"Nine and three-quarter inches, willow, and phoenix feather."

I looked at the proffered wand. It was simple and thin, with a plain, thicker handle of knobby wood. A smirk lit on my face as I picked it up. It felt warm in my hand. I gave it a little spin, and a little spark shot up like a tiny firework, making silver glitter rain down on me.

"Yes, that's the one, I think. Haven't had someone take such an old one in a while. That wand has never had any other master, despite its age. It must see something fantastic in you."

I looked over at Scorpius, and he smiled at me.

"Come on. We have one more stop before we leave. Well, two, actually. We have to get you a trunk."

I thanked the kind woman and we got a large trunk to put all of my things in. It wouldn't be even half full with my books. I'd have plenty of room for anything extra I might want to take.

"And, now for our final stop."

Scorpius pulled me into one last shop. Everywhere I looked, there were owls, lizards, toads, cats, a couple of dogs, birds, and all manners of animals.

"You should have a pet, for company. The list says you can have a toad, cat, or owl, but they'll let you have other pets sometimes."

"Like what?"

"Someone my father knew had a rat. And there's a girl, Penelope Thrishak, she has a snake."

I looked around at all of the animals. Nothing really stuck out, so I started to wander. I passed a kitten in a case. It was adorable. It was black with grey stripes and the tiniest little thing. I could've held it in the palm of my slight hand.

"Do you like him?" Scorpius asked.

"I want to look around a little more. He's cute, though."

"Want to hold him?"

My smile was answer enough, and Scorpius caught one of the worker's attention, gesturing at the kitten. The worker went back and opened the door to the case, waking the kitten. It didn't make noise at him or anything, but it didn't go to him, either. The worker reached in and scooped up the tiny ball of fur and brought him back around.

"Here you are, sir."

"Hand him to her."

The worker turned to me and held out the kitten in his palm. I held out my own hand, and the kitten leapt on playfully. It nuzzled my thumb, and I brought it close to me. It crawled up my arm to the hollow space where my neck and shoulder met, curled up, and snuggled.

"Well, he seems to like you quite a bit. He's barely done anything with anyone else who's held him."

"He can rest there for a bit. I'm going to look around a little more."

The worker watched me as I wandered a little further. I found a plastic case towards the back of the room with tiny dragons flying around. The worker had followed me, so I asked her about them.

"They'll never grow any bigger, and they're immortal. Each one is unique."

One with gold scales caught my eye. It was crawling around on some sticks, coming closer.

"That one, we've noticed, is rather feisty. It won't let anyone touch it."

"Can I hold them?"

"You can put your hand in and see if one likes you."

The worker opened a little door, and I put my arm in. I was wearing my protective gloves, for no other reason than they were comfortable. None of the dragons came closer. I was about to pull my hand away when the gold one I had seen landed on my palm. It nibbled at my fingers and scurried around.

"Highly unusual. It won't go near anyone else."

"Scorpius, look!"

He came over and looked at the dragon on my palm, lightly petting the kitten's head with one knuckle.

"Do you want one of them? Or both?"

I thought about taking my pets with me. I would have to leave the dragon at home, most likely. My mother couldn't take care of it. A sudden thought occurred to me.

"Scorpius, I can't leave my mother alone. I can't go to school."

"My mother has already said she would look after her. We all want to see you get to go to school. Honestly, I was bringing all of this up with my parents when I was getting ready to go to school last year. You deserve your chance as much as anyone. And I think you'll be a great witch."

I tipped the little dragon off my hand. "Maybe someday I'll get one, but not now. I do want the kitten though. He's so cute!"

I gently lifted the kitten from my shoulder to my arms, holding him against me gently. He let out a little kitten mew and looked up at me. His eyes were leaf green.

I picked him up in one hand, and he squirmed, batting playfully at my hand. He licked my thumb and I giggled, bringing him back down to my face. He nuzzled against me and I petted him, following the worker to the counter. We paid for a food bowl, some toys, some food, and a collar.

"What are you going to call him?" Scorpius asked.

"I think I'll call him...Xephyr."

I put everything in my trunk. I'd been smart enough to get one with wheels. I let Xephyr crawl onto my shoulder, and the three of us left.

"How do we get back?"

"Same way we got here," he said, holding up a pouch he took from inside his jacket.

We went back to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and to the fireplace we'd arrived in. Scorpius took a handful of powder, and handed me the bag. "Malfoy Manor!" he yelled this time, and slammed the powder to his feet. He disappeared in blue flames.

I stepped into the fireplace and repeated his actions. I skidded out of Scorpius's fireplace on my back, only stopping on the marble floor when I bumped into a leather couch.

"Oh, hello Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy," I said, looking up at them from where they leaned over to see me on the couch.

"And where, if I may ask, have you two been?" Mr. Malfoy asked.

"Diagon Alley, sir. Scorpius took me to get my things for school. I got my acceptance letter early last month, but I had no way to get what I needed."

"Ah, I see. Scorpius, why don't you help her with her trunk? Get her back home?"

"Sure, Dad."

Scorpius took the handle of my trunk from where it had landed smoothly on the floor. I got up and brushed myself off.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your evening."

"No apology necessary," Mrs. Malfoy said.

"I suppose I will see you both on the first," I said softly, and gave them a small bow.

I turned walked after Scorpius to the door before I could do anything embarrassing. Then I did something embarrassing anyways. I tripped on the rug in the doorway between the living room and the foyer, so the Malfoy's got to watch me take a spill to the floor. I knew my cheeks were burning as I got up, fixed the rug, and ran to the door.

"Why do you get so nervous in front of my parents?"

"Its not like I'm over very often. I'm not like you, Scorpius. I wasn't raised the same way. I don't know all of the etiquette you do."

"But I like you being yourself. You being different from the kind of people I'm normally surrounded by is what makes you so special."

He lugged the trunk down the porch steps and across the street. I opened my door for him, and he took it upstairs to my room for me. My mother was eating some bread and fruit. A small dinner, but I knew she liked it.

"Go to bed when you're done, alright Mom?"

Her eyes lit up as she processed what I'd said. She nodded slightly, and I headed upstairs.

Scorpius had set my trunk on the floor so I could easily open it and finish packing. He stood a bit awkwardly at the wall across from the door, which had a bay window centered in it. But Scorpius was focusing on the right side, where I had a few pictures pinned up.

I tapped his shoulder, and he jumped. He relaxed and looked back at the pictures. One of them was a selfie of the two of us,laying back on the observation platform. We must've been about seven and eight. Another picture was of the two of us playing in a kiddie pool. Scorpius looked about four, which would've made me three. His parents and my mother all sat around the pool. My mother watched me with a smile, and the Malfoys were talking, looking over at their son. His mother had a bright smile. His father even had a small smile that barely tilted the corners of his lips up.

"Do you remember them?"

"Yeah. I'm pretty sure I even remember how old we were."

We were quiet, remembering.

"I really am sorry. I should have done more this past year. You're my best friend, too, and I just caught up in being popular and stuff at school, and I left you to fend for yourself."

"Don't worry about it. It's not that big of a deal."

"I'm going to show you everything at Hogwarts. We'll stick together, even though I'm a bit older. Alright?"

"Thank you. You better get home for dinner, now. I have to eat, and finish packing and stuff."

"Alright. Can we hang out tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I'll meet you at the glen around noon."

"Great. I'll see you then."

Scorpius showed himself out, and I started throwing clothes into the trunk, followed by extra bathroom supplies, my laptop, and my MP3 player. I organized it all before going downstairs. My mother had gone to bed, as I'd asked. I had a bologna and cheese sandwich for dinner, then headed back to my room.

I dug around in my closet until I found a plain black binder, completely empty. I took a stack of printer paper and hole-punched it, and took the pictures off the wall. I found that there were dates on the backs, so I wrote the dates next to the pictures after I taped them in. I found other pictures lying around my room. I'd wanted to start a scrapbook for a long time, I just hadn't. But going to Hogwarts in just a few days, I found it necessary. Besides pictures, I put in movie ticket stubs, my Hogwarts acceptance letter, and a letter from my father. My father had written the letter when he found out I'd been conceived. He'd died shortly after I was born, for his crimes against the wizarding world. I had never actually met him.

I put the scrapbook in my trunk, and flopped onto the bed, careful not to land on Xephyr. I'd put him on my bed, and he'd curled up on my pillow. Now he looked up and blinked sleepy eyes at me before he got up and padded over to me, curling up against my neck and going back to sleep. I grabbed my camera off my bedside table and took a picture of the two of us. I turned out the light and got under the covers, falling asleep with my kitten.