Not mine, Harry Potter belongs to the genius herself JK Rowling...

Big thanks to my beta Alessa.

Hannah Abbott

Stockport

Greater Manchester

England, UK

5 July 1997

Dear Harry,

You are probably thinking it quite weird that I'm writing to you considering we really don't know each other that well apart from D.A. I'm currently sitting in an unfamiliar place that is to become my home and desperately trying to think of a way to regain a sense of normalcy after the evening I've had. I doubt it will ever come again though. What I'd really like to say to you before anything else is this... Thank-you for saving my life tonight.

I think we all learnt a lot in the last year in defense considering our teacher seemed to know what he was talking about (even if he is still a git), but it wasn't just spells that helped me tonight. It was confidence. I don't know if you know it, but you made a great difference to quite a lot of people in our fifth year. The new spells you taught us were great, but you helped us best by making us believe in ourselves, believe that we really can protect ourselves without relying on an "adult" to help us. While I did leave each meeting feeling great, I don't think I truly realised what I got out of it until what happened to me tonight.

And so I come to events of a this evening... My parents & I were attacked by Death Eaters. God, I'm still shaking hours afterwards. One part of me really does not want to write this down, but another part of me thinks it may help to write it down and that you would understand it better.

I keep saying tonight, but I really should say last night considering it is three in the morning as I write this. It was after our dinner at dusk during that time that it is getting dark, but people haven't quite got around to turning their lights on yet. We have a very family orientated street, but with mainly younger kids, so this time of night is very quiet on our street, everyone is in their own homes and too busy with their own lives within to look outside.

I mean I know wizards can make it so no one can see or hear them, but they would hardly have needed any spells to sneak up on our house - no one would have noticed. As it was because we were all watching a movie, we only realised someone had entered our house because of a rush of cold air that came up though the hallway into the lounge room.

Apart from those living in our home (mum, dad, my twelve year old sister Hayley & myself), the other people who are free to just walk in are my older sister Hilary and her family, and my grandparents. But all of those people ring the door bell(which is LOUD), before they come in.

When we first noticed the chill we all looked at each other worriedly and my parents made us quickly go into the kitchen. At this point I hadn't even considered death eaters as although I'm Muggleborn attacking me would serve no purpose - I'm a nobody. But ordinary Muggle villains are dangerous too and I got that weird progression of becoming terrified.

One second I'm vaguely worried with a bit of nervousness thrown in, then my heart sped up and I got all shaky, my stomach tied itself up in knots and I almost got too scared to move. Once we got to the kitchen, I got my wand out - I know not the best thing to use if they were Muggles, but it's the only way I know how to defend myself - my dad grabbed the rifle off the wall of the den (just beyond the kitchen), Mum grabbed her largest cooking knife and although she was quickly pushed behind my parents, I saw Haley grab a heavy based saucepan and hold it behind her back.

It's amazing how much my perspective has changed in the last 6 years. If it had have been Muggles I wouldn't have known what to do. I seem to have this automatic thing that makes me hesitant to use magic around Muggles, even if it is to my detriment. The fact that the Death Eaters were from 'my world' gave me confidence, and your words to us during DA came back to me and gave me confidence. I decided I'm the one with power over myself - how dare they try to take it away from me!

What happened next was really a blur. There were five Death Eaters, four of us, and a normal (so not too large) size kitchen. Strangely enough as soon as I saw them I was less scared than I had been before. I can't give you a blow by blow account of the events then as there was just too much going on.

The second I saw them I yelled Death Eaters. I've told my family the state of the wizarding world so they knew that we were fighting for our lives here. As soon as Dad heard that, he shot the first two that came in. After that there were curses from them, hexes by me, kitchen knives slashing out (Mum), brute strength (Dad) and throwing of kitchen objects (Hayley).

We all got hurt, my dad & mum the most. That was because they were both jumping in front of Hayley and myself every time a Death Eater threw curses in our direction. I managed to stupefy two of them while they were distracted by my parents.

I didn't realise till after I had stupefied the second one that the last one almost got me. I turned around to see a Death Eater on the ground behind me and my sister Hayley standing there holding the saucepan in the air. Apparently she saw him focusing on me and in a very ACME like way whacked him over the head with the saucepan. Man, she may only be twelve but she has got one hell of an arm.

Great, now I can't stop giggling - why the hell am I giggling? I mean looking back that particular part was funny, but the circumstances and feelings we had at the time were horrifying. Is it normal to get the giggles after a night like this? I kind of feel like it wasn't real, like I'm in a bubble that will pop any moment and I'll be back watching a movie in our home.

Does this feeling go away? Will I become accustomed to my new awareness of the world? I mean I knew bad things were happening - I mean how could I not know especially after Cedric's death and it's impact on Hufflepuff, and then with my best friend Susan's aunt being murdered, but it still really hadn't hit me. Although I keep getting a weird feeling now and then that I wasn't as separate from it as I've always thought - don't know where that is coming from though!

Shortly after our mini battle took place Aurors arrived to check out the situation. They asked lots of questions and then a couple of them took us to a safe location - no idea where - where we will be living indefinitely. The Aurors were quite nice - one looked really intimidating but groovy at the same time (tall, black with an earring), and the other had more of a young groovy look about her - she had pink hair - how wild is that? She looks a bit familiar to her, but I really can't place her!

Well I'd better sign off now before I blather on even more. Things aren't really making sense in my brain right now and it has been a bit of a relief writing it down - I really should have written in a diary though instead of dumping it on you considering you probably have a lot of your own worries.

I don't know how much you are involved in the war, but I think it is obvious to the school and the wizarding world that you play some part. Not sure how much of that is media hype though. Just wanted you to know - whether you are "The Chosen One" and our savior or not - tonight you have been my savior and I thank-you.

Kind Regards

Hannah Abbott

PS. Oh crap, this is why I shouldn't have written this so late I just realised how crass my comments about Cedric must have sounded. I don't know what happened in fourth year - and I'm not sure if you know of the feelings of the students regarding that time but I need you to know that that night caused many Hufflepuff's to now regard you as a Hufflepuff in Gryffindor clothing (not that the Purebloods in the house would understand that phrase though - God don't you think that sometimes we talk in a different language to the Purebloods? And here I got blathering on again. I really will stop here before dawn arrives and I have written an essay length letter!