Lying in my bed deprived of sleep again. But I was tired, mentally tired. I was praying for sleep, a deep dreamless sleep. To escape from this time this place I call home more like my own personal hell. Away from people. I wish for a day that I could be happy again; recent events have left me bitter, cold and shut out, dead inside. Never to smile again, to afraid that if I find something to smile about it'll be swept away from me forever. I've had to learn to hate before I can trust, before I can love. I longed for the day I could sleep and never wake up; don't get me wrong I don't want to die...right? Of course not. I just wanted a break from...everything. I sat up and swung my legs over the side of my bed and walked to the window. The moon shown into the room spilling its silver light covering it in various shades of silver, leaving it looking mystical. I stared out the window at the busy street three stories below...this street was always busy, but what do you expect this is New York. But sometimes the streets were left empty without a sign of a car for a minute then a bus sped by followed by honking cars destroying the moment of serenity. Sadly you could compare the street to my life, hectic, and dysfunctional and just when I had a moment of calm, something new came and wrecked it. I felt drained, numb. I walked back to my bed and stuck my hand under the mattress and pulled out a dagger. I sat on my bed making the blade reflect the moon's light. I touched the steel to my arm, it was cool against my skin, and without thinking I dug the blade into my arm and slid it down, I was immune to the pain, I welcomed it. It took a minute for the blood to flow out, the deep crimson water began to stream down my arm, and for a moment I felt good. When I bled enough I pulled a blood stained towel from my nightstand towel and wrapped it around my newest wound, and lightly added pressure. After a while it stopped bleeding and I wiped the blade clean, opened the drawer and stuck the towel back in, then slid the dagger back under the mattress, and threw myself back on my bed. I lied there still staring at the ceiling, waiting for day to come. I looked at the alarm clock sitting on my nightstand, three o'clock; school was in four hours, oh joy! I turned on my side, and tried to get myself to sleep, my arm was beginning to sting, and I finally drifted off to sleep.

BEEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP! Moaning I lifted my hand and jammed the off button of the alarm clock. I slowly lifted my head from under the pillow and let the sunlight hit my face. Letting my eyes adjust to the newer, brighter light. I turned on my back and lay there for a few seconds then sleepily got out of bed and walked to my closet. I took out the usual a pair of faded black jeans and at tight white wife beater, and a cropped faded black jean jacket. (Just because your dysfunctional doesn't mean you can't be stylish). I threw them on my bed and walked to the bathroom, my arm was beginning to itch. When I got to the bathroom the water was already running. Lei. Lei was my older brother, the only thing that kept me sane, he was my knight in shining armor, without him I'd be curled up in a ball at some psychiatric ward. The door swung open, and Lei walked out. He stood 6' 2 and very muscular, but you'd have to be if your stuck in this place, His long hair hung dripping, framing his long face. His bright green eyes gave the impression that they were glowing. Sometimes when he got mad they seemed to go a shade darker. He was pretty cute, for a brother that is. A deep voice cut through my reverie and I looked up.

"You okay Lorelei" he said looking worried.

"Yea" I answered, still not completely conscious.

"You sure" he said unsure, I nodded and he smiled.

"You should hurry up, they stepped out for a minute but they're coming back so he have to get going, okay" he sad his smile fading, I nodded again and went into the bathroom. THEY. Our guardians, our "parents" our providers the people that were suppose to see to that we're healthy, and happy. Instead they took joy in beating us senseless every chance they got. I couldn't remember a day that I wasn't slapped or punched. Thank God for Lei, he got the most of it when we were younger, but lately they've been targeting me. They hated us, and in turn we hated them.

I stood in front of the sink and turned on the water, splashing some to my face. The cold water waking me up. I let my hair fall from the ponytail. It had grown it out so that it tickled the tops of my shoulders. I looked at myself in the mirror, at the reflection staring back at me the same dark blue eyes the same round face the same, the jet black hair, and the Sunkist skin, I stepped back taking a look at my body. I was pretty well built for a girl, of course fighting of a 45 year old man kind of did that too you. I was satisfied nonetheless.

I got out of the bathroom twenty minutes later and was dressed in ten. A half hour later we were on our way to school. Brunet School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, it was a pretty good school nothing great. I hated it of course, what didn't I hate. Especially arithmacy, and lucky me it was the first class of the day. The professor hated me for some odd reason, I mean just because I cut your class once in a while doesn't me you should hate me. Mr. Ramah wasn't the best teacher either...he wasn't skilled enough but what do I know im just a student.

We reached the front door and we split up, my arithmacy class was on the third floor and Lei's was on the first. I ran up the stairs skipping two at a time. When I got up to the third floor I mad my way to the classroom and took the usual seat in the back by the window. Just then the bell rung and in walked professor Ramah. He was a very tall lanky man. With his large nose that hung like a birds beak and his inset eyes. He was...ugly. I smiled to myself, resting my head in my hand staring at him in mock interest. He was babbling about some assignment.

"Alright students, Will you please take out your books and turn to page 744, and commence reading chapters 20-22." He said smiling showing his rotting teeth. I took out my book and began to read, or I tried to read. All these runes and words were starting to make my eyes tired. I was slowly drifting off to sleep when a loud bang came from the front of the classroom that made me jump. Everyone's heads were turned in the direction of the door, including mine.

Standing there was a short stubby man with a serious look on his face, Headmaster Dinks. He surveyed the classroom as if looking for something, then his eyes fell on me and he nodded. "Mr. Ramah, May I please see Miss Romero" he said never breaking eye contact with me.

"Of course Headmaster" and he motioned me to go. I stood up slowly and half walked half dragged my self to the door. Once outside I saw Lei leaning on the wall looking solemn, my stomach tightened.

"Miss Romero, I afraid I have some unfortunate news." He said straining his neck to look at my face. My eyes darted from him to Lei and then back to him. He continued.

"Your parents, were caught in an explosion, downtown this morning, and I'm afraid they didn't make it," he said finally. My body relaxed and a wave of emotions passed through me some to quick to identify. I felt weak, as if I was about to fall over. Lei rushed to my side to steady me. My head was hurting. I couldn't think. What just happened? Headmaster was still talking but I had stopped listening long ago. He finally finished talking said something to Lei and left.

I turned slowly to Lei, opened my mouth to talk then shut it again. He was still leaning against the wall deep in thought. Then he spoke which made me jump.

"It wasn't an accident"

"What!?!?" my voice came out hoarse.

"It wasn't an accident, there was an explosion at The Bank Of New York, yet they were the only ones who died, everyone else came out untouched." He said lifting himself from the wall. I was completely confused. What was he talking about? My head began to throb with pain.

"Listen, Lorelei, I have a couple of things we have to talk about" he said his voice serious, but his eyes soft and gentle. "But we have to get out of here first, okay" I just nodded I had no clue what was going on but, I trusted him.

We walked back home and packed a few clothes, this entire thing happening in a blur. When I was finished, I walked to Lei's room. He was just about done and looked up.

"Are you okay?" he said looking anxious.

"No, but do I have a choice" I said trying to smile but failed miserably. He reached under his bed and pulled out an old tennis shoe, I looked at it for a while then realized what it was. A port key, before I could say anything Lei grabbed my wrist and the room began to swirl and shift and the floor disappeared from under me, I felt like I was flying. Seconds later, my butt his solid ground and everything stopped spinning. I looked up and there was a huge red sign with gold lettering that read:

Welcome To Hogsmeade.