Author's Note: All right everyone, I've been writing this for a little while now. It's the diary of the missing fourth member of Harry, Ron and Hermione's team, the girl who was never mentioned in any of the books. This entire story is basically the entire series from her point of view, her thoughts, her opinions as to all of the occurrences. I've also changed some details from the books so that they work with this story. The biggest one that I'll go ahead and tell you is that in my version, Cedric does not die! Actually he's this girl's love interest, so he's not going to die. I don't want to put her into that sort of position. But anyway, please enjoy the story, and if you don't like it, or if something doesn't make sense, please just tell me. Enjoy!
01-02-1999
Dear Diary,
I know you and I are going to be fast friends, for there are times in every girl's life when she needs someone to confide in, but she doesn't know who to turn to. A journal is the perfect place for one to hide all her secrets. This is the most perfect gift I've ever gotten.
Since you and I will be spending a lot of time together, I thought I'd start by introducing myself. My name is Leslie Angkatell and today is my ninth birthday. You, little diary, were a gift from my uncle. Uncle Jerry is the best uncle a girl could wish for, and also the only family I have. Mom and Dad died when I was only a year old, and I think it's only right that I tell you how they died.
The next thing you need to know, before I tell you, is that I'm a witch. I know it may seem hard to believe, but yes, I am. My mother was a witch, and my father and uncle are both wizards. There is an entire wizarding world, separate from the Muggle world. Oh, Muggle is a term that means non-magic folk. None of the Muggles know about us, unless of course, a wizard or witch is Muggleborn, which does happen sometimes. And if we hadn't started marrying Muggles, we'd have died out. There are very few Pureblood wizards left.
Not all wizards are good, some go bad. A few years ago, there was one who went as bad as you can go. Most in the wizarding world are still scared to speak his name, but Uncle Jerry never was and neither am I. His name was Voldemort. I'm used to everyone saying You-know-who or He-who-must-not-be-named whenever he's mentioned, and I always have to remember to say that when I'm around others, but when it's just my uncle and I, we use his real name.
But eight years ago, when I was a year old, he was defeated. There was a boy, my age, who defeated him. At least I think he's my age, he was a year old himself. His name is Harry Potter, and Voldemort went to his house in Godric's Hollow, killed his parents and tried to kill him. But for some reason, the curse backfired upon its owner and he was destroyed. Well, at least his body was destroyed, some say he's still out there somewhere, which I believe. Though I want to believe the contrary, I know he'll be back someday and I get the feeling there will be nothing we can do.
Now Harry has gone to live with his Muggle aunt and uncle, and doesn't know what happened. It's said that he even has a lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. The wizarding world has gone back to normal for the most part. But it took a long time, several months before it was back to normal.
But things get worse, and now we get to the part of my own parent's death. The week after Harry defeated Voldemort, his followers, the Death Eaters were all being rounded up. I lived in a small village in the English countryside at the time, called Southampton Cove. It was called that because we were fairly close to the seaside, and there was a small inlet which curved close to the village. It was a small place, only one central lane with all the shops, and small roads branching off of it, which was where all the houses were. It was small, but quaint and quiet, and if anyone needed to go out, we were just twenty miles west of Carlisle.
I lived in a small cottage at the edge of town with my parents and my older sister. Her name was Elena. She was six at the time and I was a year old. It was the week after Halloween and the village was already starting to make preparations for Thanksgiving. They always made a big to-do about Thanksgiving; the whole town had a feast.
One night, a week after Voldemort's downfall, some of the Death Eaters appeared in the area. They wanted revenge for what had happened to their master and decided to attack our home. It was an entirely wizarding village, so it was perfect for them to vent some rage. They went through the entire place, destroying every single building, turning every brick into a pile of rubble. Everyone that stood up to them ended up dead. They went through all the houses, killing even the smallest child. The last house they came to was ours.
Dad heard the screaming from outside and knew what was happening. He and Uncle Jerry went out to help with the fight, while Mom grabbed Elena and I to try and get us to safety. One Death Eater in particular was called Bellatrix Lestrange, and she knew we had gone. She was the most ruthless Death Eater there was, she even used the Cruciatus Curse on someone else's parents, but she got away with it. She'd done her research on the entire village, knew the names of all the people, and she knew we'd gone. She left the fight to her friends and came after Mom, Elena and I. Uncle Jerry saw her go, and tried to warn Dad. But one of the Death Eaters hit Dad with a curse, and he was gone. Uncle Jerry killed that Death Eater in turn, angry for losing his brother. All the rest of the villagers were gone by this point and the Death Eaters were either killed, injured or had fled. He ran into the woods after us, hoping he wouldn't get there too late.
Mom had gotten fairly far with Elena and I, but no matter where she ran, Bellatrix could catch up with her. She knew she'd have to fight. Poor Mom, she never liked fighting. She handed me to Elena and told her to keep running. Apparently, Mom and Bellatrix had one heck of a battle going, but she didn't make it. Bellatrix made quick work of her, then she went after Elena. Being six, Elena couldn't run very fast and that horrid woman killed her in a second. I fell to the ground and was apparently crying a lot. What do you expect? I was a baby. Bellatrix was about to finish me off, but then Uncle Jerry arrived at that moment and stopped her. They fought for several minutes before reinforcements arrived. Bellatrix was arrested and sent to Azkaban, the wizard prison.
You're never really whole again, after you lose your family. But you get over it. Uncle Jerry took me in and we've lived together ever since. We bought a flat in London and have lived there together. I love London, but it's not the town I lived in with Mom and Dad. I've been going to a private girl's school, so I can get some education and the Muggle police won't take me away from my uncle. But no one likes spending time with me, they all think I'm weird.
I can do some really strange things, particularly when I'm angry or scared. Once when some girls were picking on me, I flicked my hand at them and a bunch of spiders fell from the ceiling on top of them. Another time, I was climbing up to the roof of our house and almost fell. One thing I loved to do was climb out of the top window and sit on the roof to watch the stars or the sunset or something. My foot slipped on the way up and I almost fell off the roof. But then, it was as though the wind caught me and lifted me up onto the roof.
That was when I found out I was a witch. Uncle Jerry told me the whole story that night. He told me about my heritage, that I was a Pureblood witch, and he told me of how my parents and my sister had died. Most would have waited until I was a teenager before telling me, but he was raising me to be a strong young girl, and he knew I could take it at the age I was at. And he was right. Honesty is after all the best policy, wouldn't you agree? Then to that, most of my uncle's friends would say, honesty is desirable, but not always advisable. But I believe in speaking my mind. Uncle Jerry has trained me well.
While I was shocked at finding out what happened to my parents, I knew that at the time there was nothing I could have done, and also that it was better not to brood on the past. But not a day goes by where I don't think of them. My most precious possession is a locket, a gold, heart-shaped locket, which I don't believe I have ever taken off. Once it fell off, and I went absolutely berserk looking for it, but finally I found it under my bed. When you open it, you see two pictures, one of my parents on the left, and one of my sister on the right. Just wearing it makes me feel as though they're still with me. I was shocked when I saw my mother. She looks exactly me, the same long blonde hair, the same blue eyes, the same fair skin. Elena took after my father in looks, short brown hair, but with our mother's blue eyes. My name is even somewhat like my mother's. My name is Leslie, and hers was Lydia. Dad's name was Edward.
Sometimes, when I lie in bed at night, I wish that they were still here with me. I wish that they would be there to see me go to school, graduate, get married, have children. But they won't be there for any of those times. And then, when I fall asleep, I revisit the night they died in my dreams.
It's an awful dream. I see several shadowy figures running around. It starts out with a tall woman, with long blonde hair, running as fast as she can. That has to be my mother. She's carrying a baby in one arm and her other hand is holding that of a young girl, which is Elena. Then, a figure all in black appears out of thin air. All I can see of her is a black cloud, and I think that is the Death Eater that killed my mother. All I know is her name, I've never seen her face. Then it skips to the young girl running ahead with the baby in her arms, tripping over a tree root and screaming as a jet of green light hits her. Then I see that shadow of black again, moving directly above me.
Right at that moment is usually when I wake up. Everything happens very quickly, as though all of these events are just flashes. I always wake up in a cold sweat, breathing hard. I started having these dreams a few weeks before I found out the truth of my parent's death. When I finally told Uncle Jerry, he admitted the truth about what happened. That night, I had the dream again, and this time, I could see everyone's faces clearly, including that woman's. Bellatrix Lestrange had the most twisted face I've ever seen, I can't even begin to describe it, and I'd really rather not. Ever since then, I've had that dream once every ten days or so. I don't think I'll ever be rid of it.
The only comfort I have is that Bellatrix Lestrange is locked up, and can never hurt me again. Azkaban is said to be an impossible fortress to penetrate or escape, so she can't come after me. So instead of worrying and brooding over her and the past, I think of my future.
In two years, when I'm eleven, I'll go to a school called Hogwarts. It's a wizarding school that trains all the witches and wizards of the British Isles. I don't know exactly where it is, but from what I've heard, I think it's somewhere close to the border between England and Scotland, because the village of Hogsmeade, close to the school is in Scotland. I can't wait until I start there and begin my training to become a full-fledged witch. And if Harry Potter is my age, I'll probably meet him when I go to Hogwarts, maybe even be in the same class with him!
I know this is a long entry and you might as well get used to that little diary. This book is spelled, so that it will never run out of pages, unless I choose for it to, and I don't think I ever will. I'll never stop writing. It's been a good birthday, but it's late and I want to get some sleep.
Sweet dreams,
Leslie
All right, it may not be that long, but in terms of how this would look in a diary, it's long. Tell me what you think of the first chapter, and if you think there's something I need to do to change it. Don't forget to review!
