A/N: Here's the first chapter of Year Three. Again, I'll only be updating on Mondays because I'm still working on it. If you enjoy the story, please feel free to leave a review. I appreciate feedback. And those of you who just like to flame, please don't waste your time, I'll just be ignoring the flames, anyway.

Disclaimer: Only own the Watkins family and the Garcías. Anything you recognize obviously belongs to JKRowling.

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Bryt Watkins closed the refrigerator door, trying to hold onto the three cans of soda without dropping them as she went to the table to put them down before starting to search through a cabinet for something to eat. She sighed, running a hand through her recently-shortened shoulder-length blonde hair before going through the next cabinet, her caramel-brown eyes scanning everything.

"Sofí! Julio!" Bryt called over her shoulder towards her two friends that were currently in her room.

Sofí and Julio García were two of Bryt's friends who currently lived across the ocean in Charleston, South Carolina, Bryt's home before moving to England. Ever since the end of the summer before, it had been planned that the siblings would be spending the summer with the Watkins family.

"Bryt, don't shout across the house," Amelia Watkins, Bryt's mother spoke up from the next room where she was cleaning and Bryt rolled her eyes, going over to the freezer and finding a container of ice cream, deciding she and her friends could make ice cream floats.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang from Bryt's bedroom and the girl groaned, wondering what Sofí had done now, hoping it wasn't as bad as the last mess (which required hours of cleaning and Bryt's father having to repair the floor and wall in one corner of Bryt's bedroom, plus Bryt now needing to replace her school trunk and almost all of her school supplies). Bryt made her way across the house to her bedroom to see smoke billowing from a cauldron in the corner of Bryt's room and her part-Hispanic friend covered in soot and coughing.

"You already ruined the cauldron, Sofí, what're you doin', now?!" Bryt asked, remembering the large hole in the bottom of her cauldron and wondering how Sofí could have managed anything with it there.

"She called herself tryin' to fix it," Julio, Sofí's year-older brother said from Bryt's bed, an amused smirk on his face.

Bryt rolled her eyes and moved over to Sofí, pulling her away from the ruined object.

"Don' go near it again," she ordered and Sofí pouted at her. Bryt rolled her eyes again, but kept her gaze on her friend's face, which was hard since Sofí was almost a head taller than her.

"I don't need you blowin' up my room again," Bryt continued, "Or causin' the Ministry of Magic to think I'm castin' spells and expel me from Hogwarts."

"Yer jus' a party-pooper, Bryt," Sofí said, plopping down on Bryt's bed next to her brother.

"I just want to keep learnin' magic," Bryt replied, going over to her desk where a pile of wizard newspapers (the Daily Prophet) were sitting. Bryt had decided at the end of her last school year to start having it delivered to keep up with what happened in the wizarding world.

Recently, the news had been about an escapee from Azkaban, the wizard prison. The escapee was man named Sirius Black, who had killed twelve Muggles and a wizard on a Muggle street twelve years earlier. Bryt always tried to keep those articles hidden away from her family considering the Muggle news had also been broadcasting about Sirius Black. As far as Mr. and Mrs. Watkins knew, Black was a Muggle convict who had escaped. Bryt didn't think they needed to know the madman was a wizard, they worried enough with just thinking he was a psychotic Muggle.

The article at Bryt's desk now was about one of her's friends, Ron Weasley. His father had won a lottery and were now vacationing in Egypt. Bryt had actually cut that article out, which was accompanied by a family picture of all the Weasleys, and pinned it to the wall over her desk.

Ron wasn't the only of Bryt's friends away. Bryt's closest friend from school, Hermione Granger, was currently in France, though she was due to return home any day now. Bryt's other friend from school, Harry Potter, was at his home, though Bryt wouldn't be able to contact him due to his very anti-magic aunt and uncle. Harry had given Bryt, Hermione, and Ron his phone number at the beginning of summer, but Ron had told Bryt that he had tried to call and it had ended very badly, so calling Harry would not be a good idea.

"When're you goin' to Diagon Alley again?" Sofí suddenly asked, staring at Bryt's ceiling from where she was stretched out across Bryt's bed.

"Sometime next week," Bryt said, "When Ron and Hermione're back from their vacations. We're gonna try and meet up with Harry and do our shoppin' then."

Bryt looked next to her computer where her school list was sitting, along with a signed permission slip for trips that Third Years and above could make to a village called Hogsmeade that was near Hogwarts.

"Can't wait to meet yer friends," Julio grinned.

"No, you jus' can't wait to meet Hermione," Sofí teased and Julio glared at his sister, his cheeks going pink.

Bryt laughed, remembering the first day of her friends' visit when Sofí had told her that she was positive that Julio had a crush on his two-year pen pal. Bryt had suspected it since Hermione stayed the last few weeks of the summer before, and she knew that Hermione had a crush on Julio in return.

"I'd say it's time for soda floats," Bryt said, leading her friends back to the kitchen. Bryt groaned when she noticed a black and white cat on the table, trying to get into the closed ice cream bin.

"Merlin!" Bryt snapped, scooping up the cat in her arms before looking at Sofí and Julio, "I'll be back in a second."

Bryt carried the cat to her brothers' room, noticing the door was open.

"Drew, Your cat was on the table again," Bryt said, going into her brothers' messy room, putting Merlin down on the bed.

"You're supposed to knock," Mike looked up at his sister as Drew went over to pick up his cat.

"Your door was open," Bryt crossed her arms over her chest.

"That doesn't matter!" Drew piped up, "This is our room."

"You two always come into my room uninvited," Bryt shot back.

"We're little brothers, that's our job," Mike replied.

Bryt groaned, not wanting to argue more so she turned to Drew.

"Keep your cat off the table and counters or Mom'll throw a fit," she said, turning and heading out of the room. When she got back into the kitchen, she was surprised to see Sofí hadn't caused a mess, though she had made herself a soda float while Julio just had a simple bowl of ice cream.

"I hate brothers," Bryt said as she sat down at the table, pulling the ice cream tub towards her, starting to scoop some in a glass.

Sofí started giggling and Bryt looked up to see Julio staring at her with his spoon near his mouth, apparently forgetting he was holding it.

"What?" Bryt asked, confused. Sofí started laughing and Bryt suddenly realized what the girl found so funny.

"Oh, sorry," Bryt groaned, closing her eyes for a second, "I didn't mean you, Julio, I meant Mike and Drew."

Bryt was spared the embarrassment of the conversation continuing as Joey, Bryt's barn owl, came swooping through the kitchen window and landed on the table, dropping a letter. Bryt grabbed it and instantly recognized the handwriting as Ron's. Grinning, she opened the letter quickly to read.

Dear Bryt,
I just got back from Egypt and we're planning to go to Diagon Alley on the last day of vacation. We're staying the night there, too, heading to King's Cross from there. Why don't you stay, too? I've sent a letter asking Hermione, and Harry's already there. You'll never believe why!
He blew up his aunt!
Dad told us this morning. Harry's been staying at the Leaky Cauldron since, can you imagine? My mum would kill me if I blew up my aunt.
Anyway, I can't wait to tell you all about Egypt, I hope you can make it to Diagon Alley with us. It wouldn't be the same without you!
Ron

"Who's it from?" Sofí asked when Bryt folded back up the letter. She noticed Julio had gone back to his ice cream, apparently forgiving Bryt's comment against brothers earlier.

"Ron," Bryt grinned, "He's gonna be in Diagon Alley on the last day of vacation, he wants me to stay the night there and head to King's Cross with him, Hermione, and Harry the next day, the only problem'll be how you'll get home."

"We can catch a cab," Julio said, "Don' worry 'bout us."

"You sure?" Bryt asked.

"Like Julio said, don' worry," Sofí grinned.

"Okay, let me go ask Mom," Bryt said, heading into the living room, "Mom?"

Mrs. Watkins looked up from her book and grinned.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Ron's invited me to stay the night at the Leaky Cauldron with Hermione, Harry, and the Weasleys on the last day of vacation," she said, "We'll all head to King's Cross together, is it okay if I go?"

Mrs. Watkins studied Bryt, obviously thinking it over.

"Will Ron's parents be there, too?" she asked and Bryt groaned at the tone.

"Mom, I'm thirteen, I'm not gonna do anythin' stupid," she said, "Besides, I told you last year there's no way I'll ever like any of my friends in that way. Besides, Ron didn't just invite me. He invited Harry and Hermione, too."

"You didn't answer my question," Mrs. Watkins said.

Bryt sighed and resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley'll both be there," she said.

Mrs. Watkins continued to study her daughter and Bryt waited, wishing her mother wouldn't take so long. She couldn't help but think that her father probably would have let her go without a second thought.

"Fine, you can go," Mrs. Watkins said, "But behave."

Bryt groaned again.

"Yes ma'am," she said, turning and heading back into the kitchen, sitting back down.

"Mom said I can go," Bryt grinned.

"We heard," Julio said.

"You sure you won' do anythin' 'stupid' with Harry or Ron?" Sofí smirked.

"Sofí Samantha García!" Julio and Bryt both snapped at the same time and Sofí began laughing.

"Bryt!" Mike had shown up at the table and Bryt jumped slightly. She hadn't even heard her brother come in.

"What?" Bryt asked, shooting Sofí a glare as the girl had settled herself down to a fit of giggles.

"You've got a phone call," Mike said, handing Bryt the phone.

Bryt thanked her brother, putting the phone to her ear with a 'hello?' while Mike headed out again.

"Hi, Bryt," Hermione Granger's voice came from the over the phone.

"Hermione!" Bryt grinned, "How's France?"

"It was wonderful!" Hermione replied happily, "I learned so much, and I got a lot of information for our History of Magic essay...I hope it's not too long..."

Bryt laughed. Only Hermione would be so excited about school work.

"I'm sure it isn't," Bryt said, "Have you heard about Ron?"

"Yes, I'm so jealous!" Hermione said, "Do you realize how fascinating the wizards of Ancient Egypt are?"

"One day, Hermione, you'll learn not everythin's about studyin'," Bryt laughed again as she looked up at Sofí and Julio, "Oh, you'll get to finally meet Sofí and Julio, Hermione. They won't be goin' home 'til we're on our way to Hogwarts."

"That's right, they start school a few weeks after us."

"Yep," Bryt said, trying to balance the phone between her ear and shoulder as she went back to her soda float.

"Bryt, put it on speaker!" Sofí suddenly said, "I wanna talk to her, too!"

Bryt sighed. "Hermione? Sofí wants to talk," she said, putting down the phone and putting it on speaker.

"Hola!" Sofí said loudly and Bryt rolled her eyes again.

"Hello, Sofí. Is Julio there, too?"

"Yeah, I'm here, Hermione," Julio said, "I'm lookin' forward to meetin' you."

"Same here," Hermione said happily and Sofí started smirking, but, for once, kept her mouth shut.

"D'you hear from Ron?" Bryt asked before Sofí could change her mind about keeping quiet, "About goin' to Diagon Alley."

"Yes, I've already got permission from my parents, what about you?"

"We're gonna go, too," Bryt said, "My mom's gonna drop us off and Sofí and Julio're gonna catch a cab while we head to King's Cross."

Their conversation continued for a few hours as Bryt and Sofí ate their floats they had created and Julio his bowl of ice cream. They only stopped talking after Mrs. Watkins fussed at them for tying up the phone line, so they told Hermione goodbye and decided to head back to Bryt's room where Bryt decided to write a quick letter to Ron to tell him she'd be meeting him at Diagon Alley. Then, she spent the rest of the day trying to keep Sofí from destroying her room for a second time that summer.