Happy New Year and here it is! My sequel to Fib1123581321's Blood of the Birds! PLEASE do not read until you have read it. Check it out: u/2613674/ References to Blood of the Birds will be made fairly often and I don't want to confuse you. This series WILL be structured like the original HP books, meaning that, at some point, there will be seven complete Avis Malfoy books. A few announcements: (I know this note is getting long, and if you're really impatient about this stuff like I am, you only have to read what's written in bold):

Firstly, I'm currently working on one other story, but this will be my priority. On a good week, where I have a lot of free time, I can spit out a chapter in one and a half to two weeks. More often, I can upload a chapter between two and four weeks. I will promise you that I WILL ALWAYS TRY TO UPLOAD A CHAPTER IN LESS THAN FOUR WEEKS. Less if I can manage it, which will be fairly often. I always have a notebook in my pocket, so I can write wherever I am. I haven't quite managed to stick my laptop in my pocket, too, so this will have to do. With this, I'll always have at least two chapters typed and ready to go, then two or three more written, but not typed. Don't ask me when I will update! I would love to answer, but I won't know!

Secondly, if you have any non-spoiling questions, leave them in the comments below and I will answer it next update on my profile, not in the story. This concept was actually NoahPhantom's idea to give his readers an honest word count. If you really don't get a concept, message me and I'll be happy to discuss it! There are a lot of new concepts in this book, along with many new characters, so if you don't get anything, don't hesitate to ask!

Thirdly, I will keep this book in canon to the original books and Blood of the Birds to the furthest extent of my knowledge. Recently, Fib1123581321, the author of BotB, found an error with this. I will always immediately go back and fix any mistake, so every update may not be a new chapter. I've read all seven books six or seven times each, and Blood of the Birds twice, so I think I'm good with that. Anything I don't know I will skim the books for, skim BotB, and, if else fails, I'll look on the Harry Potter Wiki (which I usually just skim for ideas).

Fourthly, please review! It makes my day to log into my email and discover that somebody donated two minutes of their time to give their feedback on my story.

Fifthly, chapters will be of varying lengths. They'll usually be between 4000 and 5000 words, but some big chapters bay get up to 8000 to 10000 words. I'm sorry this one's so short, whenever I try to make the first chapter of a book longer, it always gets really confusing and every little detail is written about. I promise the next one will be longer, though!

And sixthly, if you like it, please share it with your friends. I want to write the best possible story for you guys, so, in return, help me by "directing traffic" to this book and to Blood of the Birds. Also, if you see a typo, mistake, or have a suggestion, don't hesitate to post it! I read every single review and PM I receive and love constructive criticism.

If I have any more big announcements, I will post them in the story and in my profile. They won't be nearly as long, but they'll always be important. Thanks so much for reading this, this chapter is for the few people who commit that they'll read from here, January First, Two-Thousand and Fourteen and all the way to the end, whenever that may be. Enjoy!

-Luke

CHAPTER ONE

SHIFTS OF POWER

O

The reddish-orange flames were closing in, hotter and hotter, from all around her. The city had once been pleasant, but the fire showed no mercy. She was the only one left, about to be engulfed in flames, just like the others. A dark, looming shadow passed over her. She tried to see what it was, but she was frozen in fear. The flames had made a large circle around her, preventing her escape and gradually closing in. Now the ring of fire was just a foot across. She bunched herself up, making herself skinnier, to no avail. Her bare foot ignited, but she didn't feel the flames until they reached her chest. Her other foot ignited. Her shins. Her thighs. In one burst, it came. She was being pierced by a thousand knives. The flames were so hot they were cold. It was excruciating. She tried to call out, but all she managed was a raspy hiss, barely audible. Her feet began to disintegrate, but she no longer felt them. The flames were at her neck now, and when they reached her head, it was over. The dark silhouette of a man ran by, almost as if he were fleeing from a crime scene. She reached out, knowing it was no hope. Her hand crumbled to ashes, swept away by the passing wind. "Help...me..."

Avis Malfoy sat bolt upright in bed, beads of sweat rolling down her pale face and the hint of tears in her large blue eyes. Her bedside clock read 6:28. Rain tapped on her bedroom window. She had dreamt 'The Bad Dream' again. She could still feel the searing hot fire on her body and was thankful for the coolness of Malfoy Manor. The manor, once dark and gloomy, served as the base of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. After that, the manor was wrecked and Avis's great-grandmother, Narcissa, was killed by Avis's grandmother and Dark Sorceress Astoria. When Rose and Scorpius moved in, Rose gave the manor the ultimate makeover. Half the manor became living space for the young family that lived there. It had a kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, an office, everything anyone would find in a normal home.

The other half of the manor, consisting of the Entrance Hall and various other large parts of the house, had become the Minerva McGonagall Memorial School for Animagi, a summer school devoted to showing young witches and wizards how to magically transform themselves into animals. Avis was very proud of her canary-self, which she had mastered ever since she could walk. and boasted about it whenever she got the chance.

The manor wasn't completely ghost-free, though. In various parts of it, the manor was still quite cold, and Narcissa's bedroom was the same as it had been the day she was killed. There were bloodstains speckled throughout the Entrance Hall, the blood of Avis's other grandmother, Hermione Granger-Weasley, when she had been tortured there by Bellatrix Lestrange.

Avis's dreams were always unusual. She would dream the same dream for weeks on end, then something big would happen in the Wizarding World and Avis would never dream it again. She was currently juggling two dreams this summer, unusual even for her. 'The Bad Dream,' the one with the fire, and 'The Good Dream,' which consisted of a boy. Just standing there. Just standing there, looking for something. Avis's dream self always knew that that "something" was her. She didn't know how she knew, but she did. Thankfully, it was the type of boy that she would like to go out with when she was older at -

"Hogwarts!" Avis remembered, her nightmare evidently forgotten, a smile plastering itself on her raspberry lips. Today marked her first day as a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She started to run out of her room to wake her parents, but stopped, her smile fading. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a face. The same face from her dreams. But when Avis whipped herself around to get a better look, the face had vanished. She decided it was a trick of the early morning light and skipped towards her parents bedroom. Besides, who would be there? She was two stories up in a house in the middle of nowhere. When Avis arrived at the bedroom, she opened the door slowly, as not to wake her parents. Surprisingly, it was empty. Avis checked her watch. It was too early for her parents to be awake. Sighing, Avis ran downstairs.

Her mother, Rose, was cooking breakfast in the kitchen while her father, Scorpius, held a loving arm around her and played with her flaming red hair. "Avis! We didn't think you'd be up yet." Rose called, throwing her arms around her daughter. "Big day today," Scorpius said from the corner, "Ready?"

"Hogwarts!" Avis yelled again, as if unable to say anything else. She turned into her canary and flew towards the door. Rose laughed. "Not yet, sweetie. You go upstairs and get dressed while your father and I finish making breakfast."

Avis turned back into her wild eleven-year-old self and raced upstairs, her ice-blue eyes sparkling and her red hair waving behind her. She dressed quickly into her school robes, made sure everything was packed, stuffed some money and her wand in her pocket, and ran back downstairs, her trunk bumping behind her and her owl, Zeke's cage swinging in her hand. Everything was as it should be, but little did she know, everything was going to turn to what it shouldn't be, and Avis would be right in the middle of it all

"Really?" said Scorpius from the table, looking up at Avis from his paper. "What?" she responded cheerfully.

"Your school robes, Avis. You can't wear them to London. Mum'll help you." He nodded at Rose and she took out her wand and muttered, "Glamour," Nothing happened.

"What was that supposed to do?" Avis asked. Rose smiled.

"Exactly what it was supposed to do, honey. You see yourself as you are, but we see you like...uh... Help me out, Scorp...uh..."

"A deranged Muggle teenager," Scorpius cut in, grinning. "Exactly," Rose said, "You'll look just like a Muggle. Scorpius will take off the charm on the platform and you'll look just like everyone else again." Scorpius turned back to his paper, and Rose to the stove.

"Wait, Mum?" Avis asked, wanting to change the subject. "What, sweetie?" Rose smiled. Avis twitched uncomfortably. "Why are you, uhh... um... cooking?" Ever since the Malfoys got their new table, Rose had stopped cooking and Scorpius and Avis were relieved. Their table took orders and was an excellent cook. The table talked back to Scorpius when he tried to order food, due to his inability to perform magic. In the Second Battle of Hogwarts, Scorpius had been killed by Astoria, but he had united the three Deathly Hallows, so he survived, but as a Floe, a wizard who loses his or her magic. When the table refused to give Scorpius his breakfast, Rose or Avis would order for him. Scorpius and Avis never dared to say it out loud, but they both thought that Rose wasn't the best cook. Her meals were made with love, but the kind of love that made Avis need and extra-long bathroom trip.

"Well, I thought it'd be nice if I made you breakfast on your special day."

"Oh, ahh, thanks," Avis said, less excited than she had been a minute ago. Nevertheless, she sat down eagerly to a huge breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and sausage.

"Anyfing goof in da pafer, Dad?" Avis asked her father, her mouth filled to the brim.

"Avis don't eat so fast," Rose said, noticing Avis scarfing down her food, "You're going to choke."

"Mo may, mum," Avis said, splattering her parents with half-eaten sausage. "That better have been an 'Okay, Mum' and not a 'No way, Mum,'" Scorpius chuckled. "It was," she confirmed. "As to answer your earlier question, no, nothing good in the paper so far."

It was an unwritten rule of their family to always read the newspaper back-to-front instead of front-to-back like most ordinary people. Scorpius was almost at the front page, each article he read getting longer and longer.

Rose tried asking Avis about Hogwarts, but Avis couldn't hear her over her own chewing. Eventually, she gave up and the family ate in silence, the only noise being Avis's eager chewing and Scorpius trying to eat breakfast, read the paper, and grade the end-of-year McGonagall School exams. Rose, bored, began reading the paper over his shoulder. When Scorpius turned the page, he and his wife both gasped.

"What!" Avis asked frantically. Nothing made both a high-ranking Auror and the former leader of the Order of the Phoenix gasp like that. "Read it, Scorp," Rose whispered. Scorpius took a deep breath.

IMPERIUSED DRAGON DESTROYS THE AMERICAN METROPOLIS OF MANHATTAN

NEW YORK CITY - Late last night, a Hungarian Horntail, the fiercest of all dragons, unleashed its fury on the residents, visitors, and landmarks in the city of Manhattan, a borough of New York City, USA. The New York police, the American ministry, and our ministry are all baffled. "We had thought something like this was coming," said the American Minister, Sandy Adelaide, "[There have been] numerous attacks of New Yorkers in and around our ministry lately." American Aucopi, the American equivalent of an Auror, had recently placed extra defensive charms over the city. Because of these charms, officials can tell that that the dragon was not wild and had help getting to the city. The dragon was either very well trained or Imperiused to get past the charms. Aucopus and magical prodigy Jake Ashford, 23, was lucky enough to use a variation of Prior Incantato on the dragon. This variation allowed Ashford to see what kind of magic was on the dragon and to discover a caster. The dragon had indeed been put under the Imperius Curse, but the caster of the curse is still unknown. The dragon was chased away, despite the Imperius Curse, by Aucopi on their overnight shift. Once the dragon had fled, the Aucopi Office had Ashford once again use his charm on the protective bubble of charms surrounding New York. The dragon has not been recovered, but, according to Adelaide, is probably dead, but the mastermind behind the plan is still alive. All Wizarding ministries are on high alert. Wizarding residents of Manhattan and surrounding areas have been told to evacuate, as most of the city is in ruins. An estimated 500,000 were killed, one third of Manhattan's population, with another million injured. The Muggle government has placed all of Manhattan under lock-down and various agencies are already rebuilding America's largest city. The American Ministry of Magic, whose headquarters had been in Manhattan, has now been forced to move to Brooklyn, another borough of the city, along with a million other Muggles. This attack has lead to debate between the American and British ministries on whether we should assist the Muggles with their rebuilding process or continue to remain in the shadows, as they have for the past five-hundred years. If they assist them, the International Statute of Secrecy, established in 1692, will cease to exist and Muggles will know of the Wizarding World at last. The American ministry wishes to assist them, as their Anti-Disapparition Jinx-guarded Ministry is currently inaccessible, and all the American ministry has now are its members, not even a headquarters. The British ministry, on the other hand, refuses to destroy the Statue and says that the dragon threat is a bigger problem. Refusing to give in, the British ministry donated 1.5 million pounds to the Americans for them to use to build a new Ministry and offered offices to high-ranking members of the American ministry at the British ministry. These members include Sandy Adelaide, American Minister for Magic, Mark Zelder, head of the American Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Jacob Ryder, Head Aucopus. For more on the Statue's debate and on this devastating attack, see page A3.

Avis felt like she had heard this news before, but couldn't place it. She quickly pushed the thought aside; she couldn't have known about it, it happened last night.

"What does this have to do with us, exactly?" Avis asked, "We all know the Americans are idiots."

"Avis!" Rose scolded as Scorpius and Avis laughed, "Scorpius!" They both shut up instantly. Rose shot her husband a stern look. "I'll, uh, go, uhh, check on my imaginary friends," Scorpius said, getting up, "I'll see you all later." He almost left but Rose called him back, still not smiling, but looking worried. "Sorry," Avis said, still laughing, "But they are!" Rose ignored her. "Avis, this is a big deal. I know I took today off from work, but I'll probably get a Patronus telling me to come to the office. I'll imagine Hermione was up all night, sorting things out and bringing these Americans to the office."

"Oh."

As if on cue, a silver ball of light drifted into the Malfoy's kitchen, taking the shape of a terrier. "Rosie," Grandpa Ron's voice echoed, "I'm so, so sorry, I know it's Avis's first day, but we need you at the office. You know why." The terrier dissolved, leaving a look of shock on the Malfoys' faces. "I've got to go," Rose said, getting up, her eyes not meeting her husband or daughter's, "I'm so, so sorry. Blame the Americans. Have a great term, Avis. Dad will take you to King's Cross today. Come home for Christmas. I love you both!" She left the kitchen, no doubt to change into her army-like Auror uniform. Avis put her dishes in the sink, and trudged upstairs to do her hair. A few minutes later, Rose called from the entrance hall, "Avis, I'm leaving. Have a great term and I'll see you at Christmas!" Avis ran downstairs to give her mother a hug, but she was already gone.

O

"We'll find them, don't worry," Scorpius soothed. Father and daughter had been looking for the Potters for nearly half an hour, to no avail. The train was due to leave any minute, and Avis had not seen Addy Potter, her best friend and cousin, board the first-years' car, and she was nowhere on the platform. It was Addy's first-year as well, and Avis needed someone she knew at school. Most students had boarded the train by now, but there were still a few with affectionate mothers still saying goodbye to their sobbing parents.

The train's whistle blew. "All aboard!" came a loud yell from the front of the train. Immediately, hounds of students began hustling towards the slowly moving train. "Avis, go," Scorpius said, not meeting Avis's eyes, "I'll have Uncle Al Apparate Addy to Hogwarts. I love you, Little Bird. Now, go!"

He gave Avis a gentle shove, but she was swept away from Scorpius by the current of anxious students heading for the train. She blinked back her fast-approaching tears and, determined to have Addy, tried to claw her way back to Scorpius, but was quickly ushered on the train by a nerdy-looking prefect who closed the door behind her. Out the door's window, Avis got a short glimpse of Scorpius waving goodbye to her. She waved back half-heatedly, but the train had already turned the corner, and he was gone. Avis couldn't stand in the doorway for much longer, unless she wanted to smash herself into a wall. She hastily began looking for an empty compartment. Fortunately, she found one. She slipped inside, locked the door behind her, sat down, and prepared to stare out the window and blink back tears the whole ride to Hogwarts, knowing she would be alone.

Eventually, Avis heard a tap-tap-tap on the compartment door. She looked at who it was and gasped. She quickly closed her gaping mouth and threw open the door. It was the boy from "The Good Dream." The same olive skin. The same all-black clothes. The same long blonde hair. The only thing different was his eyes. They were an electric-blue, like in the dream, but there was a certain sadness in his eyes, nothing like the calm, relaxed teenager in her dream. Avis gasped again, but for a very different reason. She suddenly realized something and mentally slapped herself for not realizing it before. The article about the fire was what she had dreamed about the past week, all before it happened. And this boy had been in her dreams all summer. Could it be possible that she could dream the future? But then she remembered that this was the boy she thought she saw at her house.

"Were you spying on me at my house?" Avis demanded. The boy gave a little start. "Wha-What do you mean? Of course I wasn't, why would I? I don't even know who you are, much less where your house is."

"Oh," said an embarrassed, confused, frustrated, and startled, but believing Avis.

"Could I, maybe..." He gestured to the empty seat next to Avis.

"Uh, yeah. Sit down," she replied, still a little shocked. "If you want me to go somewhere else, you could just say so, you know," he said politely.

"No, no, I'm just a little shocked, that's all. I just think I've seen you before. Please, sit. Close the door behind you."

He did as she told him, a little nervousness on his face. "Eli Kogan," he said, extending his hand. Avis shook it. It was warm and soft, unlike Avis's sweaty palms. "Avis Malfoy. Get comfy. We can talk more later, but listen now. Are you Muggle-born?" Eli nodded. He looked really worried now, so Avis quickly began.

"This morning, an article appeared in the Daily Prophet, the Wizarding newspaper. The front page said that there was a dragon attack in America, in New York City. I had had dreams about a huge city destroyed by fire, since the beginning of the summer." She explained her odd dreams and how they related to future events, something Avis hadn't even told her parents. She explained how she saw Eli's face in her bedroom, but Eli was sure that that wasn't him. When she finished, the little color left in Eli's face drained.

"Ohhh," he said, "So you think you can dream the future."

"How could I not? It's happened to much to be a coincidence," Avis reasoned. The sky was darkening, and they were fast approaching Hogwarts. "Never mind about my dreams for now," said Avis, shaking her head. "Fine with me," smiled Eli, leaning back in his seat. The two new friends sat in silence for a few minutes until a plump witch came to their compartment with a cart of sweets.

"Anything off the trolley, dears?" she asked. Avis quickly scanned the trolley for anything good and eventually settled on four Chocolate Frogs. The witch laughed and handed her her sweets. Avis unwrapped one and snatched the frog before it could jump away, stuffing it quickly into her mouth. She would look at the card later.

"What're those?" Eli asked, startled by the wriggling frog Avis had just put in her mouth. "They're not real frogs, are they?" Avis shook her head, not wanting to talk with all the chocolate in her mouth. When she swallowed, she said, "No. Besides, it's the card you want." Eli looked confused. "Card?"

"Of a famous witch or wizard," Avis explained, "Here, take these. You can start collecting." She tossed two of the remaining three frogs to Eli and he accepted them eagerly. "Who's..." Eli craned his neck to look at the card clenched in Avis's hand which she had not seen yet. "Albus Potter? It sounds familiar, but I can't place it. Something to do with Hogwarts..." Avis looked at the card in her hand, surprised. It was indeed her uncle. "He's my uncle," Avis blushed, "You're probably thinking of his dad, Harry Potter, Headmaster of Hogwarts and Albus Dumbledore, a past Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"Wow," Eli breathed, "Well, read the card." Avis shrugged and took out the card.

Albus Potter

2006-present

Discovered the culprit of Argus Filch's murder. Rescued several dragons from caves near Azkaban. During the Third Wizarding War, Albus sided with Astoria, but eventually became a double agent and killed her with the Sword of Gryffindor in the Second Battle of Hogwarts. Falsely accused by the Ministry of Magic for murdering his grandfather, but later killed his brother with a curse too horrific to mention. Albus's case of murder to his brother and Astoria baffled the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for weeks, but he was eventually cleared of all charges for his heroism in ending the infamous Forbidden Flock. Albus enjoys solitary time away from his great fame, much like his famous father. Today, Albus is an incredibly talented, high-ranking Auror and lives with his wife, Ilana, and their three children, the oldest currently attending Hogwarts.

Avis felt a pang in her gut as she read the last sentence. Addy was attending Hogwarts, but was not on the train to Hogwarts. "Woah," Eli breathed, "You didn't tell me he was that famous."

"It didn't matter at the time," she replied, "You open one."

Together, Eli and Avis opened the three remaining frogs, which were, ironically, Avis's parents and Grandpa Harry (or Uncle Harry, depending on what day of the week it was).

"Wow," Eli breathed after finishing his last frog, "You are related to some famous people." Before Avis could argue, a voice rang out from the front of the train. "Please dress in your school robes and gather all personal belongings. Your luggage shall be taken to the school separately. We shall be arriving at Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Thank you." The train suddenly filled with noises of trunks being pulled down from the overhead compartments and people rushing to the bathroom.

Avis had had her robes on all day, but Eli was wearing jeans and a black muscle T-shirt. "I've gotta go," he said, "I'll be right back," He rushed out of the compartment, leaving Avis alone to stare out the window and daydream about her new friend. A few minutes later, Eli returned to the compartment, his Hogwarts tie tied sloppily around his neck. He blushed. "Could you maybe..."

"Help you with your tie?" Avis teased, but blushing, too. Eli smiled, "Well... Yes..."

"Okay," Avis said, jumping up. She undid the tie and re-tied it, blushing the whole time. As soon as she was done, the train lurched to a stop. At this point, Avis had completely forgotten about Addy not being on the train. She grabbed Eli's hand and yanked him off the train towards the boats, following Hagrid's call of, "Firs' years o'er here! Firs' years o'er here!"

Both Eli and Avis were laughing together while Hagrid explained the rules of the boats. Eli was trying to keep up with Avis's laughs, his blonde hair shining in the darkness. He circled in front of Avis, ignoring all the strange looks from the other first-years, and pulled her to the front of the crowd of first-years boarding the boats and got them on their own. Yep, Avis thought, I definitely like this guy.