The Story Retold

AN: So this is my first Harry Potter fanfic. I have read way too many to even count and really wanted to give it a go myself. I thought I'd start off with my own character until I get more familiar with everything and try to get Jo's characters right. Anyways, if you like it please let me know, and if not, feel free to tell me how I can make it better. Until the next chapter,

Morgorah.

Disclaimer: I own Frances and her family, that's it, everything else belongs to the fantastic JKR.

Chapter 1, The Letter.

Frances liked spending her lunch breaks here, here she could think. She could think about the things that the other children just wouldn't understand. This was her favourite place, nothing special, just a little alcove between two walls behind the school, but if she was honest with herself, she would admit that she was in fact hiding.

She couldn't remember ever doing anything to upset the other children. She had never had any "accidents" as she called them. They could just somehow tell that she was different, and nasty little children liked to take advantage of different. Then there was Alfie, her little brother. He was like her, he was different, but everyone loved him. Of course she was the only one who knew the real reason he was able to save little Tommy from the angry dog, but to everyone else he was just incredibly brave, and as a result, incredibly popular.

Frances' thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of the school bell. Reluctantly she got her things together and made her way round to the front of the small building to join the line of children, all waiting to go back inside. From where she stood she could see Alfie, surrounded, as always, by his many friends. When he saw her though, he waved and ran towards her grinning.

"Hey Frances!" He exclaimed once he had reached her.

"Hey" Frances replied. Even though she was smiling at him Alfie could tell that his sister was upset about something again, just from the tone of her voice.

"Are you alright?" he asked, but before she could answer three girls from her class strutted up to them.

"Oh look," one of them began, "Little Frances has a friend!"

"No she doesn't" the other joined in, "It's just her brother, and he has to be nice to her, he's family." The three girls burst out laughing and walked away before either of them could say anything back.

"Don't listen to them," Alfie said, and then added "I'll see you at home." He gave her a hug and ran off to join his own class.

For the rest of the afternoon Frances was unable to concentrate. She hated it here, hated her school, hated the other children, and hated the fact that if she was normal, like them, then things would be different. She might even have friends. But she wasn't like them, she had a secret.

Her Grandfather had explained it all to her when she was little, explained that she had a special gift. He told her that when she was old enough she would get to go to the school that he had went to, and learn to use this gift. He told her many things about the people who where special. Like the secret street they had in London, and this fascinating sport they played, on flying brooms!

For as long as she could remember she had been able to do things, strange things, without actually trying to do them. Once, when she had gotten into trouble, she had run upstairs to the safety of her bedroom and slammed the door shut. When her parents came up to find her they found the door locked despite the fact that the key was still sitting downstairs on the kitchen table. There was also the time she had had a horrible nightmare, and when she woke up, the bedroom light had come on of its own accord.

After Alfie was born she had started to look out for signs that he might be the same, and sure enough, when he was just one year old, he tripped and fell down the stairs. Before he reached the bottom however, he managed to turn himself upright, and float the rest of the way down, landing safely at the bottom with his two small feet firmly on the ground.

Frances found herself smiling as she relived the joy she had felt watching her brother float down the stairs. All she could think at the time was how she wouldn't have to keep this secret to herself any more. She could share the wonders of this magical world that her grandfather had told her about, and one day they would be a part of it together.

For the second time that day the sound of the school bell interrupted Frances' thoughts, but this time she jumped to her feet. It was home time! She hurriedly flung her school books into her bag, slung one strap over her shoulder and bolted for the door, her red hair a mess as it flapped behind her. She ran down the corridor, pushed open the main door and stepped outside, only to jump back inside again. The rain was pouring down so hard that it bounced off the ground. She had an umbrella in her bag somewhere. As she fished around for it she could hear the other children's footsteps getting closer, but just as she pulled it out of her bag she felt herself being pushed from behind and went flying head first out of the door, landing face down on the wet, hard ground. Fighting back tears she looked up to see who had pushed her, but they had already ran off. In the distance she could hear their laughter.

Frances picked herself up slowly and waited miserably for the rest of the children to leave the playground, watching as the last of them headed towards the village and home. When they were out of sight, she made her own way across the playground and out of the big black iron gate at the bottom. Instead of turning right like the other children had done, Frances turned left, and followed the path until she came to a small wooden gate that looked like it could fall apart if you lent too hard on it. As far as she knew no one ever came this way, for behind the gate was an entrance to the large forest the village sat in front of. She had used it as a hiding place for many years, and often used it to travel to and from school to avoid the other children. Sure it added a good hour onto the journey, but it wasn't like she had anything to rush home for.

She had come this way so often that she could make her way through the trees with ease, and after about 20 minutes she came to the large flat rock that was her usual stop. The rain had ceased and she decided that what she really needed was a just a few moments to herself, and some time to think. After putting her umbrella back in her bag she sat down, lent back against the tree trunk and closed her eyes. She was trying to forget about everything that had happened at school that day and think about the things that made her happy. She thought about the things that her grandfather had loved to talk about; ancient castles and magical creatures, flying and making potions. Suddenly she heard a loud screech from above and when she looked up she could see an owl flying overhead. It's a little early for owls she thought to herself. Oh well, better head back home. With that she picked up her things and went on her way.

Frances and Alfie lived with their parents in a rather large white house on the hill that overlooked the village. After climbing the 12 steps to the front door it wasn't very surprising that Frances always found herself at least a little out of breath, and today was no exception. Once inside she dropped her bag onto the floor and took off her shoes, placing them next to Alfie's, and then proceeded to the living room. Her father was already home from work and she greeted him as she flopped down onto the sofa.

"How was your day sweetheart?" He asked.

"Same as always," was her not so enthusiastic reply.

With nothing more to say she picked up the TV remote and started to flick carelessly through the channels. She wasn't actually interested in what was on but it meant she wouldn't have to talk to her father about school. She didn't get very far in her channel surfing because Alfie came running into the living room brandishing a strange looking envelope.

"Frances! Frances! You have a letter!" he was shouting as he ran up to her, his face beaming with excitement. Frances took the letter and looked curiously at the envelope. Sure enough her name and address were written on the front in green ink. She turned it over and found a red seal on the back, with the letter H imprinted on it.

"Well, open it," Alfie encouraged. Slowly she broke the seal on the back and opened the letter:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, Chief Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confederation of Wizards.)

Dear Miss. Burrows

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

Frances was completely unaware of how long she had stared at the letter, reading it over and over. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she had been accepted! All of a sudden she burst out laughing.

"What is it?" Alfie asked, unable to hold his tongue any longer.

"It's Grandad's school, I've been accepted at Hogwarts!"

Now that she had said it aloud she just couldn't stop the grin that spread across her face; she would no longer have to go to that horrible school, she would be with other children that were like her. Feeling like she could quite possibly burst from excitement she jumped out of her chair and picked her little brother up, spinning him round and round. When she finally put him safely back on the ground she ran over to her father and practically shoved the letter in his face.

"That's wonderful sweetheart," he said chuckling, and embraced her in a fatherly hug.

She couldn't remember ever feeling as happy as she did now. She felt like running out of the house and shouting it to the world; "I'm going to Hogwarts!" Of course if she did do that no one would have a clue what she was talking about, and her grandfather had told her never to tell anyone about it, except her family. Instead she settled for dragging her father to his feet and dancing around him, laughing joyously the whole time.

A moment later the celebrations were interrupted by her mother's voice shouting "Dinner's ready!" from the kitchen, and in a split second Alfie had bolted out of the door towards food. Frances looked at her father and laughed again, a short giggle.

"Come on," he said, "Let's go tell your mother the good news."

As she made her way through the long hallway to the kitchen Frances found herself suddenly nervous. She really didn't know would her mother was going to react to the news. Her father understood, his parents had been magical, although he seemed to be unable to perform magic himself. Her mother however new nothing of this other world. Unconsciously she hid the letter behind her back as she entered the room. Alfie was already at the table, knife and fork in hand, which made Frances laugh and relax a little, so she sat down qietly and waited for the food to be served.

"How was your day sweetheart?" Mary asked after she had handed out everyone's meal and took her seat at the table. Mary was a beautiful woman, quite petite with shiny blonde hair that she usually wore tied back from her face, and a warm friendly smile, which was currently directed at her daughter.

"Um..." was all Frances could manage.

"Go on," her father encouraged, "show your mother the letter."

Reluctantly she handed the letter across the table. The room was silent as Mary read it, and when she finished reading she looked up at her daughter, her mouth slightly ajar, and then turned towards her husband.

At first she said nothing, just stared at him, trying to piece everything together. When she did speak it was in a quiet, strangled voice, barely even a whisper.

"She's a... a witch." It wasn't a question. "I, I thought you were joking, when you told me before I, I thought you were winding me up, but you weren't," she finished lamely.

"Oh come now Mary," Christopher said. His voice was strong and encouraging, he didn't want Frances to feel upset. "You said yourself how strange you thought my father was, and you've seen the things Frances can do, and Alfie for that matter." Mary still looked completely lost, what did Aderyn have to do with it, he'd had magic too?

Christopher sighed and reached across the table to take his wife's shaking hand in his own. "It doesn't change anything," he said, speaking more calmly now. "Our daughter is still the same person she always was, she's a wonderful girl with very special gifts, and now she has the chance to go and learn how to use them. We still love her just the same as we always have." After another pause Mary sighed and finally looked at her daughter, who was currently looking at her hands and trying not to blush at her father's words. She hadn't expected her mother to be so disappointed, and when Mary realised this she felt horrible.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart," she said, "I didn't mean to upset you, it's just so... unexpected. Your father's right of course, I don't love you any less." She smiled her warm smile at her daughter, but then a thought suddenly occurred to her. "You don't seem very surprised by all this," she said.

"Grandad told me about it, when I was little, about his school...and magic." It felt weird, talking so openly about something she had kept secret for so long. Mary just nodded, it all made sense to her now. She hadn't understood why Frances had been so close to Aderyn, or why she hadn't fit in at school, or why she always seemed to be lost in her own imagination most of the time. She remembered the little games Aderyn used to play with the children, and she thought that Frances had just clung onto them as she got older. Now she knew it had never been just a game.

After dinner the family retired to the living room. Mary still seemed a little shaken, but other than that things were back to normal. Alfie was on the floor, surrounded by the many pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and Christopher was watching a football game on the TV. Frances however felt like she could burst from the excitement she was feeling. She unfolded the letter to read it again, and noticed the second page that she hadn't looked at before.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WHICHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

sets of plain work robes (black)

plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring and owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

After reading it through she had a thought.

"Could you take me to London?" She asked her father.

Caught by surprise he asked her "What do you want to go to London for?" So she showed him the list.

"I don't know where in London your going to find any of these."

"I do," she said grinning. "Grandad told me of a street there, that only people like me can find. I don't know where it is though," she frowned. Trying to remember anything specific about the street, she cast her memory back to the days before Aderyn passed away. She remembered a letter he had given her and he'd told her to keep it safe. She had locked it away with some of his other possessions, and it had never been opened as she was unable to read it at the time, being only 5 years old.

Without a word of explanation she jumped up and ran out of the room. When she reached her bedroom she dived under the bed and started rummaging until she felt the old wooden box she had hidden there a long time ago. As she held it tears started to prickle her eyes, she still missed her grandfather very much. Slowly she lifted the lid and took out the contents one by one. The first thing she picked up was a small stick, completely smooth and thicker at one end. When she picked it up with the thicker end she felt as though the very air around her was vibrating. "Grandad's wand," she whispered. Shivering at the feeling she put the wand carefully on the floor beside her.

The next thing she picked up was a small golden ball. As she held it on her open palm it sprouted tiny golden wings and hovered in the air above her. She grinned as she remembered playing with this very same ball when she was little, chasing it around the room. She hadn't dared take it outside for fear that it might fly away. Her grandfather had told her she would make an excellent seeker, but she couldn't remember what that was.

The last thing in the box was a book entitled Hogwarts A History. Picking it up very gently she opened it, and lying in between the cover and the first page was a small white envelope; the letter she was looking for. With shaking hands she removed the letter, unfolded it and began to read:

My dearest Granddaughter,

I assume that now you are able to read this letter you are all grown up, and have undoubtedly grown into a beautiful young girl.

I don't know how much you will remember of me and all the things we used to talk about, but I'm sure you will not have forgotten who you are.

I wish I could be there when you receive your letter from Hogwarts, I would be so proud of you. I hope that you will be as happy there as I was.

Do you remember the street in London I told you about? It's Called Diagon Alley. There is an inn called the Leaky Cauldron, if you go there you can get to Diagon Alley, and you can buy all the things you need to start school. I have left you some money in Gringotts bank, you can't use muggle money, the key is in the envelope.

I hope with all my heart this letter finds you well, and I wish you every success in all you do. You are a strong and intelligent young witch and I have every faith that you will fit in well in the wizarding world. I hope growing up in the muggle world hasn't been too hard for you.

Look after your brother and tell him everything I have told you.

I love you so much my sweet Frances,

Grandad Aderyn.

Frances fought hard to stop the tears spilling onto her cheeks as she read the letter. When she got to the end she turned it over and found the address of a London street on the back. She also found the thick silver key that was lying at the bottom of the envelope. After putting the book on her bedside table she put the other things back in the box, closed it and placed it back under her bed. Looking in the mirror she realised that her eyes were puffy and red, so she rubbed them with her sleeve, trying to hide the tears that had threatened to spill. With the letter clutched in her hand she made her way downstairs to show it to her father.