I do not own Harry Potter.
Prologue
Jasmine Potter, age five, was sitting on her narrow bed with grey sheets in the grey room that had been her room since she'd been left at the orphanage when she was barely two years old. She had been left here by her aunt and uncle who had refused to have someone like their niece in their home. Not that Jasmine knew about them as she'd been left with only a note. 'Her name is Jasmine Lillian Potter born on July 31th. Her Mother and Father were Lily and James Potter; now deceased.'
The girl was looking down at a book on her lap as she read the words printed on the colorless pages. Unlike other children her age young Jasmine knew how to read and write at a higher level. The book currently held in her small hands was one of her favorites. It held short stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe. The nature of the stories and poems had captivated the child. She knew it was another thing the other children thought was strange about her. Not that they didn't already think she was strange. She liked to read, to learn, and to sit quietly. While other children preferred to play, run around, and hated learning. The black haired girl just shook her head at them when they went on and on about how weird she was. She didn't care what they said as they were just silly kids. She may have been a child, which was a young human being. But she wasn't a kid, which was an annoying and immature being. No, Jasmine was definitely not a kid.
Emerald green eyes roamed over the words on the page, a small smile tilted on the girl's face. Soon she was done reading and she closed the book, standing from her bed she moved over to the bookshelf near a desk that was also in her room and put the book in it's place. Looking at the clock on the desk young Jasmine left her room, closing the door, then walked down the hall towards the dining hall. Long tables were set up, various kids and older children sitting on the benches as they chatted with each other. Jasmine moved over to her usual seat, which was at the end of one of the tables near one of the tall windows overlooking some hedges outside.
Lunch was a quiet affair for Jasmine, none of the others her age came near her. Though one or two older children, or teenagers as they wanted to be called, stopped to talk to the girl. Not for very long, just long enough to greet her and be greeted. These were people that Jasmine got along well enough with. They occasionally let the young girl sit with them as they talked about their various schools, books they'd read, and other things that Jasmine found interesting.
-o-o-o-o-
Jasmine was now seven years old, her black hair hung down past her shoulders and her green eyes were roaming over the books in the library. She had been trusted, as she was very mature and responsible for her age, to walk alone to the library that was in the area. It was only a twenty minute walk for the small girl, which wasn't all that long really. The matron had been concerned the first few times Jasmine walked alone to the library but soon realised that the young girl knew how to take care of herself and eventually stopped worrying as much. Though Jasmine still had to check in with one of the adults before she left and after she returned. Just so they knew where she was at all times.
Jasmine spent most of her time at the Library reading, or spending time at one of the activities they offered. There were Yoga Classes that were free as long as you showed your library card. Jasmine rather liked those sessions as it kept her limber and was good exercise. There were also Book Fairs, where you could purchase various books that weren't always found at the library. There were also Rallys where you could win items. Nothing big, mainly certificates, toys, or some other items. The library had many other events they held during the holidays as well that Jasmine rather liked going to. Some other events were Chess Tournaments, Language Classes, Dance Classes, and there was also a weekly Book Club.
During the current Book Fair the young girl had managed to save up some money to purchase an antique book. She had thought it was amusing that people said it was in gibberish and left it in the box with other older books. She hadn't really tried reading it yet, she would wait till she got back to the orphanage, but she had liked it since it appeared very old. It would make a nice keepsake if nothing else.
Taking the book she'd bought and a few she had checked out from the library she headed back to the orphanage. Jasmine's eyes looked around at a few of the shop windows she passed. Occasionally she would pass by a family out for the day. That always made her heart clench. She wondered what her parents had been like. She of course knew their names, having been told by the Matron. She also knew, according to the note, that they were dead. But how had they died? That was what she wanted to know. Jasmine would sigh as these thoughts entered her head and then mentally shake herself before continuing on. Soon she was back at the orphanage.
She informed one of the female adults, or 'Sisters', that she was back. The Sisters weren't Nuns, they were called that as they were like older siblings to those who lived in there. There were also 'Brothers' who worked with the boys and worked in the yard and of course maintenance around the building. Both the Brothers and Sisters took care of all the children unless it related specifically to a gender issue.
Jasmine was laying on her stomach on her bed with one of the books she had checked out propped up on her pillow. Her feet were in the air, legs bent at the knee, and kicking slightly. The book she read was on mythical animals, as her eyes scanned over the pages she couldn't help but wish some of the creatures in the book were real. She imagined seeing a Unicorn or a Pegasus. She'd even like to see a Hydra or a Dragon.
It was after dinner when she finally got around to looking at the book she had bought. Jasmine was unsure of why people said the book couldn't be read, she understood it just fine. It was really interesting, apparently it was written by a man named Salazar Slytherin a very long time ago. The first few chapters described something called "Potions" and the rest of the book read like a cookbook. The name of a potion at the top, a list of measurements and ingredients, and of course the steps to make the potion. Reading some of the ingredients Jasmine had to wonder if this man had been abit mad. Unicorn hair? Vampire Fang? Basilisk Venom? Where would one even get some of these ingredients!? This book had to be a joke.
It was the two days later that found Jasmine at the library, returning the books she borrowed and then browsing the books that were for sale in the Book Fair. It hadn't left yet and still had a few days to go. As she was looking she saw two of the clerks arguing over another ancient looking book.
"It's useless! no one will buy it we should just chuck it." One said to the other as they tossed the book into a rubbish bin.
"You're right, it's almost as useless as that other book that was it's pair. Wonder where that one got to?" Asked the other before the two decided it wasn't that important and went on to help some customers.
Meanwhile Jasmine's eyes widened and she moved over to the rubbish bin where the book lay. They may not find it of any value but that didn't mean they had to throw away a book! The young girl fished out the book and held it to her chest. Since they didn't want it she would take it. Without anyone noticing, Jasmine left the library. She continued to hug the book to her chest as she headed back towards the Orphanage. "How could those adults throw away a book? That's just not right" She said to herself as she looked down at her rescued literature. A small smile on her face, her collection was growing bit by bit. Jasmine collected books. Either older ones that no one wanted-much like the one in her arms- or newer books that were just not in good condition. If no one else wanted them then Jasmine would take them. She managed to restore some of them, not all and not well, but she made it so they weren't falling apart.
When she returned she told one of the Brothers she was back and headed straight to her room. She closed the door and moved over to her bed, sitting down she ran her small hand over the cover. There were snakes on the cover which seemed to form the letters "S.S." Was this by the same person? The two clerks at the Book Fair had said this one had a mate. So maybe it was.
As she leaned back against the wall her bed was pushed against she brought her knees up and rested the spine of the book against her legs. Opening the book she began to read. It was definitely by the same person; Salazar Slytherin. This book, unlike his other book, wasn't a 'Potions Book'. Though it did have some chapters written by Salazar which described what the book was about. This one was more about something called Parselmagic. Magic! The man wrote as though it was real, which made Jasmine wish that magic was real. She read that only those who spoke Parseltongue could use this type of magic, which meant only those who could talk to snakes. That made Jasmine's eyebrows rise, she would definitely be trying to talk to snakes tomorrow! If there was even a very slim chance of magic being real she would try it.
Two months later found Jasmine outside, as she had begun to do more and more often. She had her parselmagic book in her messanger bag slung over one shoulder, and her long black hair was held back in a low ponytail held by a green ribbon. She was kneeling near some bushes where not many of the others her age and older went, by an old shed that was covered in tall grass.
"Hello isss there any sssnakesss here?" She hissed out curiously. She had been practicing switching between Parseltongue and Common ever since she found out tat she could speak the language. From out of the grass came a small garden snake.
"Sssalutationsss Ssspeaker." Came the reply from the little reptile. Jasmine smiled and held her hand out for the snake to slither up her arm and wrap around her wrist. "How have you been, Beautiful One?" Asked Jasmine as she stood and looked at the snake on her wrist. She couldn't use a non magical snake to perform Parselmagic, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy conversing with the snakes she came across.
The two held their conversation for almost an hour before Jasmine looked up and noticed it was almost time for lunch. She kneeled down and extended her arm so the snake could slither back into the grass. "I'll sssee you again, Beautiful One." She said to which the snake replied "I look forward to it Ssspeaker."
-o-o-o-o-
Jasmine was walking back towards the orphanage from the library, yet again. The now nine year old girl had been practicing with her 'accidental' magic. Which really was just Magic without a focus. She had read all the books in the library about magic and magical creatures and beings. She wasn't sure of what to believe but one conclusion she came to was that Witches and Wizards -she was pretty sure she was a Witch- used either Wands, Staffs, or some other focus. And what she was doing without using it was what she would call "Focusless Magic" or "Wandless Magic".
She was getting very good at it, using her magic to set her clothes out for the day, and sometimes even using it to float a book before her while turning the pages with magic as she read. She had been getting better and better at it, but what she really wanted to do was use Parselmagic. Sadly she had no magical snakes to channel the magic through. According to the book Parselmagic was almost three times as more powerful as normal magic.
It was as she was looking in a shop window that she noticed a man in the corner of her vision. She turned towards him curiously her head tilting to the side, which made her bangs move exposing her scar. The man's eyes widened and he bowed to the girl. Jasmine was curious as to why he would bow to her, but before she could ask about it a crowd parted them and she decided it would be better not to confront the strange adult. Who knew what his motives were?
Jasmine let a Sister know she was back and went straight to her room with the books she'd checked out this time. She had not only been reading about magic all these years but also other things aswell. Afterall it wouldn't be wise to soley focus all one's time on one subject. Not to mention she had homework from school to do. Yes she did attend the local public school, same as all the orphanages in the building that were old enough to attend school.
The blackette did very well in school, mainly because she had no 'friends' to distract her from studying. The others her age all hung out together in and out of school. But Jasmine Potter had been labeled an outcast, due to the fact that she was 'weird'. She didn't complain when given homework, she was always going off alone, and she was almost always found at the library ready boring old books.
She didn't seem to care very much that the others left her alone or called her names when they thought she couldn't hear them. There was also a handful of students that would actively seek her out to torment her. One boy had been the bane of her existance for a year now. He was a fat bully who picked on everyone but particularly her. She wasn't sure what it was she'd done to get his attention, but she was getting tired of his shoving, taunting, and insulting her. She had used her wandless magic a few times to get revenge on the tub of lard -she wasn't going refer to him by name as he didn't deserve it- by either making him stick to his chair, cause his skin to change funny colors, and once she even had his clothes change into a poofy pink dress, complete with a big bow and his short hair was pulled into tiny pigtails. That prank had happened after he'd come back from the bathroom, he hadn't noticed until the class laughed at him and everyone else had thought he'd done it himself. No one suspected she had anything to do with it at all.
-o-o-o-o-
Summer had just started last week for the almost eleven year old girl. She was sitting on her bed, a letter in her hands. She didn't get mail, very few of the orphans got mail unless they made friends that had been adopted and moved far away.
The paper looked old, infact everything about the letter seemed old. There was an old fashioned seal made of wax on the back. The seal had a very intricate H surrounded by a snake, badger, lion and what Jasmine guessed was an eagle. On the front the letter was clearly addressed to her.
Ms. J. Potter
Rose-Wood Orphanage
The Last Bedroom on the Right; Left Wing; Second Floor
London
Jasmine looked over to the owl that had delivered the letter. It sat there on the windowsil as if waiting for something. "Are you waiting for my reply?" She asked as she tilted her head to the side. The owl gave a hoot which seemed to mean 'Obviously'. Getting over the fact that the owl was smart enough to understand her, Jasmine turned her attention back to the letter. She opened it and began reading what was written to her.
Dear Ms. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerly,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
Jasmine blinked and reread the letter then a small smile creeped onto her face. I get to go to a school for magic!? was the excited thought that ran through her head as she quickly found some paper and grabbed a pen from her desk.
Dear Deputy Headmistress McGonagall,
I would be very pleased to attend Howarts. Although I am unsure if the Matron of the orphanage would even believe me if I told her of this. Would you please be able to send someone to talk with her about my attending? Also I do not know anything about the Magical World. So I may need help getting all my school supplies. Oh I have so many questions, Would it be possible for you to send me a pamphlet or book that I may read to try and understand all this?
Yours sincerly,
Jasmine Potter
She folded the letter up and gave it to the owl who quickly took off into the sky. Not looking back even once as it headed off to wherever the letter needed to go. Jasmine couldn't erase the smile from her face as she watched the owl until it was too far to be seen. The young girl then took the list of items she would need and looked over it wile she moved to her bed and laid back on it. She really hoped this wasn't some dream or horrible joke someone came up with.
-o-o-o-o-
To those who are reading my other story Path of a Ninja I will still be updating that story. I just wanted to start on a Harry Potter story now that I have more than ten chapters up on my Naruto one.
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