Hi guys! So welcome to A Light in the Dark, my first published fanfic. I've been writing for a while but finally got up the courage to publish one. So this fic this fanfic focuses on Emma Potter, who is my female version of Harry. Everyone else in the story will stay the same, however. I'm really proud of this fic and hope you guys enjoy! All reviews are welcome! Enjoy the story!

A Light in the Dark: Prologue

Little Emma Potter had never fit in anywhere. She was different in almost every way possible. She looked more like a five-year-old than a ten year old, with her short, skinny frame. Her dark red hair wasn't the usual ginger that most redheads had. This wasn't even including the slim, lightning-shaped scar that marred the right side of her forehead.

And as if that wasn't enough, her parents had died when she was barely one, leaving her an orphan and stranded on the steps of her aunt and uncle's house. They took her in, but all she ever knew from them was hate. Her cousin, Dudley, didn't help matters. He lived to make her life as miserable as possible, terrorizing her with his crew and making sure all of the other kids at school never dared be friends with her.

But what was most different about Emma, the thing that made her know she would never fit in anywhere was the fact that strange things seemed to happen to her. When her maths teacher yelled at her for not doing her equations correctly, Mrs. Norbert's hair changed to a shocking blue, causing an enraged Mrs. Norbert and gaining Emma a letter to bring home to the Dursleys. Then there was the time that Dudley and his gang were chasing her during recess. Emma tried to hide behind a dumpster and ended up melting it, leaving her sitting in a pile of trash. Every time something like this happened, the Dursleys seemed to hate her more and more. They would lock her in her cupboard for days on end.

Then there was the time she was 8. She was outside in the front yard, hiding by a tree and reading a book when Dudley and his friends came out to bug her. When she refused to give them the light of day and instead stood up to walk away, Dudley's friend, Piers Polkiss, pushed her hard and she fell right into oncoming traffic. She stood up as quickly as she could, but before she could get off the road, a car came roaring towards her. She screamed and shut her eyes, but the impact never came. As she opened her eyes, she realized she was floating in the air above the road, letting the cars safely pass beneath her.

On her good days, Emma liked to think she was like Matilda from her favorite book. On the bad days, which were far more common, she felt more like a freak, stranded in a world where she would never belong.

So when her eleventh birthday came and she was whisked away into a crazy world of owls and wands, Emma for the first time felt at home. Like maybe, just maybe, she could belong somewhere.

Ron Weasley could never measure up to his siblings. That had been obvious since day one. Where all of his brothers showed extreme signs of accidental magic, being able to transfigure objects or cause things to explode, Ron's magic was more mute, only allowing him to change the color of his teddy bear when he was 7.

When it came time for his brothers to go to Hogwarts, they all shined. Bill got amazing marks and in no time was the favorite of many. Mrs. Weasley would constantly get letters home from professors raving about Bill and his talent. It was no surprise when he became prefect and eventually, head boy.

Charlie had always been a skilled quidditch player. He shined on the pitch. He was that athlete that everyone envied. He made it as seeker by second year and became quidditch captain by fifth, causing Gryffindor to win the cup six years running.

Percy was always the most uptight. His dreams were big and his head even bigger. He was always talking about becoming Minister of Magic and how he was so smart and so amazing. Of all the siblings, Percy got the best marks. He was the top of his class every year. It was no surprise when he made prefect.

Fred and George were the perfect combinations of all the siblings. They were smart, earning good marks in all of their classes. They were great quidditch players, earning themselves beater spots by second year. And above all else, they were funny. Wherever they went, laughter followed.

Ron, on the other hand, was practically mediocre. He was going to Hogwarts this year, and he just knew that he'd never match up. He wasn't as smart or as funny or as athletic. He had to work for anything he had, and even then he wasn't as good. All he could do was hope that maybe, just maybe, he could be something more than ordinary.

Hermione Granger was never really liked. She had bushy brown hair and oversized teeth, nothing like those pretty blond girls that everyone liked. Her nose was always stuck in a book, leaving her as a sort of outsider. The only time she was around kids her own age was when she was at school, but they all pushed her to the side, only using her if they had questions about homework.

Most of the time, Hermione spent her time playing chess with her dad or reading books with her mum. She was closer to her parents than most kids her age were. Her mum comforted her when the other kids at school bullied her over her smarts or her looks. She held her as she cried and cried until she finally fell asleep.

Her dad was there the next morning, making her laugh and letting her skip school to go on what he liked to call "Spontaneous Adventure Outings" where he would take her to the woods by their house, hike the trails, and let her sit by the waterfall and read a book as he sketched the trees or the birds that flew overhead.

Because of the time she spent with her parents, Hermione had always been mature for her age. The kids at school referred to her as a know-it-all or a grandma, but Hermione liked to think of herself as cultured.

The day that Professor McGonagall came and told her that she was a witch and offered her a spot at a new school, her parents were cautious but Hermione jumped at the opportunity. She would get to start over and maybe, just maybe, she could have friends.

I hope you guys liked it! Normally I'll make the chapters around 3,000-4,000 words but as this is only the prologue, it's a little shorter. Anyways, please leave a review and a follow so you can know when new updates come in! Thanks, guys!