Prologue

A/N: It has taken me months to finally get this the way I like it, hopefully you will like it too. This is my first time actually posting a fic, so be nice!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately all Harry Potter and related material belongs to J.K. The ideas and some of the characters are mine; some more ideas are my best friend's.

Dedication: This would not have been possible if it hadn't been for my bestest best friend in the whole wide universe! She kept on pushing me to finish it, and at times getting violent when I didn't want to, thank you my dear for kicking me that last time

Enough of my blabbering get on to the story . . .

She awoke suddenly knowing he was there. One thought that raced through her mind was "why so soon?" she jumped out of bed and took off through the hall, and down the grand staircase of her luxurious plantation home. She ran around a corner and straight in the arms of her awaiting great grandfather, Albus Dumbledore.

"Granddaddy, you're a week early I'm not packed yet! Does momma know you're here? Do you want me to go get her?" She rambled through the smile on her face, but as she looked at him, her smile faded "Is something wrong?"

"Yes I'm afraid there is" he motioned for her to sit at the kitchen table "It's about your mother. . ." he stopped to consider how to tell her "Early this morning the muggle law enforcement found her body. . ."

Before he could finish she had bolted from the table "Momma! Momma where are you? Granddaddy's here trying to tell me you're dread, but I know you're here because I saw you last night right before I went to bed" she screamed, trying to hold back her tears until she knew for sure. She ran up the stairs and down the hall to her mother's room, Dumbledore had followed close behind her, when he got to the doorway, he found her slamming open the door to her mother's bathroom franticly searching, he could hear her labored breathing, and even with her back to him he could see her tears.

"Her body had been burnt, the only thing that wasn't burnt was this" he held up a muggle picture of a phoenix tattoo, she could see burnt flesh around it.

She crumpled to the floor, her knees no longer able to support her "IT'S NOT TRUE! We're suppose to go shopping today, an – an – and yesterday we were laughing an – an – and she told me how proud she was of me!" her pain was too great for words, and she started sobbing uncontrollably.

Dumbledore knelt and wrapped her in his arms barely able to contain his own emotions. When her sobs turned into hiccups, he helped her up and guided her to her mother's bed and sat down next to her keeping her in his arms, maybe if he never let her go he could protect his precious great-granddaughter from all this pain. "I know how scared you are Malia, but it's all going to be okay, everything is going to be fine, I promise" he was softly stroking her long hair, hair so much like her mother's "Your mother's will said she wanted you to come to England. I know that's going to be a bit of a change from what you're used to here on the plantation and at school, but I believe that you'll fit right in"

He looked at her tear stained face staring at him "You mean Hogwarts? But they don't have a dance team," she knew it probably sounded conceded, what with her mother being dead, and her only living relative in England, but she'd been dancing since she was three and she didn't want to give that up!

"Well why don't you start one? All you need is one of the professors to supervise. You're a better choreographer than half of your current and previous coaches put together!" He added that when he saw the look of utter terror on her face.

"I dunno . . . it's just so sudden, I – I've got people to say good-bye to and letters to write to my professors. . ."she kept on in a mumble.

Dumbledore chuckled as he took her hands in his to make them stop trembling "My darling, we've plenty of time to make preparations for your departure, and I've already spoken to your school and they would like me to tell you they are most sorry for what has happened and would like to wish you the best"

"Oh, um, well in that case I should owl Faith and tell her what's going on, I don't want to see anyone though, I'll tell her I'll see her later, after things have calmed down, and to owl everyone else. I want to leave as soon as I'm packed. I guess I need to somehow notify everyone at Hogwarts about the dance team, write a general letter, or something," she looked at Dumbledore and gave him a half-hearted smile. "I'm sorry Granddaddy I must be boring you and I know I've forgotten my manners with everything that happened this morning" she gave a weak sarcastic laugh "would you like something to eat or drink? I know your trip must have been tiring," they had walked down to the kitchen, where she walked to the fridge, and grabbed her favorite drink, a Pepsi, a type of muggle soda.

Dumbledore stood and ushered her out of the kitchen and towards the staircase "Now don't you worry about me, you go and start packing anything and everything you would like to bring with you, whatever you leave can be sent for once you're settled," he put his hands on her shoulders "I'm truly sorry for everything that has happened"

She hadn't really heard him as she started to walk up the stairs to her room her mind had drifted to her mother's last day with her.

FLASHBACK

"Momma? Momma I'm home!" she yelled through the plantation as she walked up the stairs and dropped her school bag and her duffle bag with her dance stuff on her bed before heading down the hall to her mother's room.

"Hello darling! Oh, I cannot believe it you're home at last! This year has just dragged by. How were captain auditions? Come on let's go sit down by the pool and talk while Munchkin brings us some lemonade, or would you prefer some sweet tea?" Her smile said it all; she was glade her precious daughter was home.

"Tea, oh it was awesome! There were seven of us auditioning for three spots in the officer's corp.; captain, co-captain, and warm-up captain or as we call it 'drill sergeant', I KNOW who's getting that." She paused as Munchkin popped onto the pool deck holding a serving tray with two glasses full of ice and two pitchers one with sweet tea, the other with lemonade, even thought her mother had been living in the states since before Malia was born, she just couldn't drink cold, sweet tea.

"And who might that be?" She smirked, she knew better than to think that her daughter, who had been dancing since she was three and choreographing since she was thirteen, would get a position other than captain yet again, she'd been co-captain her second year, and captain her third, fourth, and fifth years, and her sixth year would be no different.

"Her name is Trista Rodsen; she's a first year, muggle-born. Well even as a first year she had this. . .this. . .oh I don't even know how to say. . .this air of authority about her that even the oldest girls respected and she had the discipline that a lot them are also lacking, I mean she handles stuff that I was still having problems with when I was her age. She's the epitome of dance perfection!" Dance was her life and to find someone who has as much a passion for dance as she does was one of the best parts of her year.

Her mother smiled "Are you telling me that a little bitsy eleven year old is a better dancer than the almighty Malia Zerina Wyatt?" She couldn't help but laugh at the horrified expression on her daughter's face.

"Momma, I said nothing about her being better than me, only that she's really good for someone her age and she has great potential, but she's more into tap and you know I'm not a big tapper!" She gave her mother a playful evil glare when she saw the sarcastic pathetic looks her mother was giving her "Stop it momma!"

"I'm sorry sweetie, how about this, tomorrow we'll go shopping, and get some new practice clothes and look at new uniforms for this year, and just turn the day into a little shopping spree" she knew Malia couldn't resist new dance clothes and the opportunity to shop till you drop.

"Alright momma it's a date! But tonight before it gets any later, I wanna show you something, well, a couple of something's." She ran to her room and gathered a picture she'd gotten for Christmas and her portable stereo she used for dance, when she returned her mother had refilled both drinks and was watching a humming bird drinking from the feeder they had hanging from a tree branch near the pool "Momma you alright?" Malia had noticed the glazed expression on her mother's face and the creases in her forehead, which meant one of two things she was thinking too hard, or she was worried.

She came back to reality with a smile on her face "Yes sweetie, I'm fine, now what did you want to show me?"

"Okay, this," she handed her mom the picture "is a picture of a Chinese Fireball!" She had a crazy obsession with dragons, and the Chinese Fireball was one of her top three favorites, it was also the only one she didn't have a good picture of. "It was part of my Christmas present from Faith; she said she was tired of me complaining about not having one. So while her father was in Romania on Business he went to the rehabilitation center there, he used to work at it, and was able to get this picture" she was so excited she was bouncing on the balls of her feet.

"Who's the young man in the picture?" She might be blonde but she wasn't dumb, she saw how excited her daughter was about the picture and she knew it wasn't because of the dragon this time.

"That's Charlie Weasley; he's the one in charge of re-training the dragons at the center. Isn't he gorgeous?" She was staring at the picture as if she'd been immobilized.

"Malia, Sweetie, Are you alright?" her mother was staring at her with a perfectly sculpted eyebrow raised.

Malia shook her head "What? Oh, yes, yes I'm fine" she quickly grabbed the picture "Shall I show you the other something? This is the tryout routine for the fall auditions" she pulled off the two-minute routine without a hitch and she'd only choreographed it yesterday! "So what do you think? Too hard? Too blah? Its crap isn't it?" she threw herself to the ground dramatically "I SUCK at choreography!"

"Honey it was beautiful, what are you talking about not good at choreographing? Please! You've taught those girls at school most of what they know!" She held out her hand to help her daughter up, then looked her straight in the eyes "Malia you are a beautiful young woman, a powerful witch, and a very talented dancer, as long as you believe in yourself you will succeed in all you do." She kissed her daughter's forehead and when she looked back at her, her eyes were glistening with unshed tears "I'm so very proud of you. I just wish you father could have been here"

END FLASHBACK

Her father, she'd never met him and the one time she asked about him her mother had totally freaked out and told her never to ask about him again, then grounded her for a week, even though it only lasted the day, so needless to say, she didn't even know his name.

When she walked into her room she stopped and stared around at the room she wasn't going to see for a long time, her bed, her favorite squishy orange chair, the hole in the wall from where she punched it, after she found out that her, now ex, boyfriend, Michael, had cheated on her. She'd told her mom not to fix it so she would always remember what it felt like to hurt that much, after her broken and bloody knuckles had healed. She sighed as she walked over to her closet "Munchkin!"

There was a small pop and the House Elf bowed low "Yes mistress what can Munchkin do for mistress?"

"I need everything packed, get whatever others you want to help you as you need it, when you're done bring, my everyday stuff, like my clothes, and make-up, my dance stuff, and my swords and dragons to the entrance hall, everything else, will be delivered to wherever it is I'm going, Granddaddy will tell you. Then I would like to see all the servants in the kitchens, understand?"

"Yes Mistress. Munchkin understands perfectly Mistress." With a pop she was gone to fetch more servants and spread the word to meet her in the kitchens.

Malia stood where she was for a few more seconds, then walked over to the double French doors that led to her personal study, she sat down at the desk that had once belonged to her great-aunt Melinda, and grabbed parchment, and her phoenix feather quill. She wrote a lengthy letter to Faith, then a general information letter for dance try-outs, she left when and where blank, her Grandfather would have to help her with that part. She stood and walked over to Pyro's perch, and attached the letter to Faith to the outstretched leg of the purple phoenix she had been given the day she was born, "I need you to deliver this to Faith and get back here straight away, you don't want me to leave without you." She kissed the top of his head, then opened the window and he gracefully took off. She closed the window softly; he knew that if the window was closed he was to go to his cage that stayed on the front porch. She picked up the dance letter, and put it in her dance book, which was just a folder she kept all dance related stuff in. She walked over to the doors, and turned around for one last look in her study, she'd spent hours in here doing schoolwork, meeting with dancers and coaches to discuss uniforms, performance schedules, and just the team in general. God she was going to miss this. She opened the door and walked out, she performed the locking charm she would use when she left for any length of time, it would only open for her voice saying the correct password, and the only other breathing things in the room could be Pyro and Munchkin.

Ten trunks, four gym bags, a purse, and three hours later, Malia was packed. The boxes with her non-necessities were in her room ready to go once Munchkin knew where to send them, all she had to do was leave the servants with their instructions "I'll be ready to leave in a little bit Granddaddy, just need to get my house taken care of. Munchkin, is everyone here?"

"Yes Mistress, Munchkin has gathered everyone Mistress" the little elf bowed deep, until her nose touched the ground.

"Good," she spoke loud enough so that the entire Plantation's House Elves could hear her. "I've gathered you all hear to inform you that I will be leaving. As you know my mother, your mistress, has left us to go to a better place, so I have inherited the Plantation, but it was her wish I go to England to continue my education, therefore it is up to you to care for the plantation in my absence. I want furniture covered, and all curtains closed, just minimal upkeep is necessary while I'm away. I would also like to tell you that Munchkin is in charge, she will be receiving my letters, so anything she tells you to do is coming straight from me, anyone who doesn't listen shall suffer my wrath upon my return, which could be whenever I feel like it, only Munchkin will know. I want the kitchens kept in optimal conditions. All of you should already know that only Munchkin can enter my study, if any of the rest of you so much as try to get in you won't live to feel my wrath, don't believe me give it a try." Malia looked around at all the house elves looking up to her, their new master. "I think we've covered everything for now. It would benefit you all greatly if you were to remember Munchkin will be sending me weekly reports, so DON'T screw around. You are all dismissed to start shutting everything down, Munchkin; you will wait with me for a moment"

"Yes Mistress" she bowed and waited for Malia to speak again.

Malia bent down so she was eye level with the little creator, "Munchkin, you've been with me since I was born. I know some of the others will try and give you problems, if any of them, and I mean ANY, start in on you, I want you to owl me IMMIDEATLY and I will be here as soon as it takes to apparate, and get through boarder patrol. So if you need anything at all or if you don't think you can handle it, just let me know and I'll be here to give you a hand"

Munchkin was in tears "OH, Mistress is too good to Munchkin; she does not deserve your kindness"

She took hold of her shoulders "You're all I have to make sure everything here doesn't fall apart while I finish school, but as soon as I do, I'll be right back here, where I belong, hopefully I'll see you at Christmas, I'll try my best to return, until then good luck dear friend." She could barely conceal her tears "I'm going to miss this place so much!" she wiped her eyes, and at that moment, the last few moments in her beloved home she put up a wall around her heart. She couldn't stand to get hurt again, for someone else to love her and leave her, like her father, like Michael, like her Mother. If she just stopped, loving altogether no one could hurt her, this is the last time she would ever cry for someone, and the last time her heart would ache. "I'm ready Granddaddy, let's go"

He looked at her with a small smile "Alright then" After administering the appropriate shrinking charms on her luggage, they were set, they would have to leave the grounds in order to apparate, because the security charms had been put into place by Dumbledore while Malia was in her room packing. They walked out the front door, when Dumbledore turned to charm the door to allow no one who didn't know the password, Malia walked over to Pyro's cage, where he was perched inside, closed and locked the door, then picked him up ready to make the journey with the only two living breathing beings that meant anything to her, her Granddaddy, and her precious Pyro, off they walked, toward her new destiny.

Dumbledore noticed that she hadn't cried as they left, she was leaving the only home she had ever known, not just for another home, but for another country, a normal 16 year old girl would have been crying the whole time, but she was totally in control, not once had she looked back at her beautiful home, that she might not see again for at least two years, till she graduated Hogwarts, since she had given out her orders, she had seemed . . . cold. Maybe she was just tired, yes that was it, she would be fine after a goodnight's sleep.

At the end of the long driveway they came to the gates which magically opened on their own, they walked out, and Malia turned and watched the gates start to close, as she laid her hand on Dumbledore's arm, they disapparated as the gates came to a close, not only did they lock intruders out of her home, but as the chains locked the gate, chains wrapped around her heart, locking it as well. She was going to focus on two things, her studies and dance, two of the very few constants in her life.

They apparated into a beautiful clearing in the middle of a large forest "Where are we?" Malia asked looking around at what looked like a fairy tale forest.

"My Summer cabin, it's a short walk that way" he pointed to where a bunch of trees had just been, but instead there was a well worn foot path. He smiled at the surprised look on her face and started walking to what would be Malia's home for the next few years.

"Oh my god it's beautiful!" she exclaimed as she walked up the front steps to a magnificent log cabin.

"I thought you would enjoy it here, now for the grand tour" he offered her his arm, and when she had slipped her arm into his he put his hand over hers and said "Where would you like to start?"

"I want to see it all, so why not start right here" she said smiling at him as he led her into the first room.

Over an hour later they returned to the kitchens where he had had Dobby prepare them a late lunch. "What do you think darling?"

"It's all wonderful" she said after finishing a mouthful of her roast beef sandwich, I have a question, why is Dobby here" She had heard about Dobby in a letter her grandfather had written her when she was 12.

"I have asked him to stay here this summer to help you with anything you might need in case I'm not here, I wasn't sure if you would want to have to cook or take care of your laundry when you're trying to set up the new dance team," He laced his fingers together and placed them under his chin, looking at her expectantly.

"That was very thoughtful of you!" she finished her lunch and sat there thinking and eating the ice that was left for her Pepsi 'God I hope this dance thing works . . . ya know of all the muggle things out their Pepsi is one of the best . . . what am I going to do about uniforms? I guess I could talk to the local seamstress . . . what about music? Maybe Granddaddy can rig something up so we can use my c.d.'s make like a magical sound system . . . where am I going to have the meeting at?' She was thrown out of her thoughts when she tipped her glass up and there was no more ice falling into her mouth "Oh sorry about spacing out on ya"

"That's quite alright, my dear, now about those letters, if you would write what you want them to say I will take care of getting them to the students including the incoming first years," and as if he was reading her thoughts he added "I believe that you and your meeting would be welcome to use the private room in the back of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, I'll speak with the owners, I'm sure there will not be a problem"

She smirked "Ya know if you keep this up I'll be out of things to do before the end of the day" She got up and sat her cup in the sink, where it began to wash itself. She yawned as she realized just how tired she really was "I'll get started on a new letter as soon as I have a short nap"

After reading and rereading her revised letter, she left her new study, which Dumbledore had had Dobby set up while he was on his way to get her, making sure to set up a perch for Pyro, it wasn't home but it was close enough, to go look for her grandfather, she found him out back in the gardens. "Granddaddy, I've finished my letter can you make copies of it and send it? We might as well send them to the Slytherins, as well as everyone else, I know it's probably a long shot, but you never know, and I want to be fair."

"Consider it done darling." He took the letter and walked in the house, leaving Malia to her thoughts.

How am I going to do this, I've instructed little kids before, but these are my peers, what if they don't like what I do, what if I'm not good enough? Mom why aren't you here? Why did you leave me? Then she was over come with a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. How cool the metal was, the way her eyes looked so empty in the reflection, the way the blade slid across her delicately tan skin, and left a crimson trail in its wake. She walked to her room, and locked the door behind her; she walked to the trunk that she packed her collection of daggers, athames, and swords. Her favorite Athame was sitting in its collector's box, she removed it and walked to the bathroom, and again locked the door, pulling up her sleeves, she sliced into herself, as tears slid down her face, she closed her eyes and let her pain fall away with the blood she lost from her newly inflicted "reminders of her humanity."

A /N: So what did you think? I know it's kind of not a normal H.P. but hey I'm not a normal kind of girl. Now please be kind and R/R. But I am warning you now; it could be awhile before I get the next chapter up b/c I'm taking a full load of college courses at the college plus two classes online. But the more reviews the faster it will get posted, b/c I don't want to post it if no one likes it.