Stay With Me

First Year Worries

A/N: Blame Google Translate for any Swahili mistakes. If I get South African customs and stuff like that wrong, I'm really sorry. I don't know any thing about it. Feel free to correct me about it, too. And for those of you who are waiting for an update for Foreign Exchange, you'll have to wait till summer comes.

Disclaimer: I'm black not white. I'm American not British. I own nothing you've heard of. I only own the people you haven't. Actually I don't even own them, it's just my family.

It was September 10, 1990 when my life changed. I was playing in our South African village with my best friend Rebecca. We were both using our accidental magic to open flower buds. We both couldn't wait until the next year when we would turn 11 and be able to go to Cleopatra's Institute of Magic. It was all the way in Egypt but it was worth the long journey. Suddenly my mother or grandmother, I couldn't tell which one, called me.

"Brianna! Come here please!" They called.

"I'll meet you out at village square at 6 tonight." Rebecca said getting up off the ground and dusting off her robes. She waved and headed back her own house.

As I made my way to my house, I wondered what I had done this time. I racked through my brain. The dishes are done. My desk is neat-ish. The food is put away. I hope Jarrett and Chandra did their chores too. I am the one who usually does them if they don't. Chandra and Jarrett were my older brother and sister, respectively. Chandra was 2 years older than me and Jarrett was 1 year older than me. Chandra went to Cleopatra's from October 1st- Till June 7th. She was about to go into her second year and Jarrett was about to start his first year. Right now, they were on summer break. Rebecca's elder twin brothers, Josh and Jeremy, were Chan's best friends (they were in the same year as her) and her older sister, Emily, was Jarrett's best friend (they were also in the same year). Rebecca and I were sure going to miss all of them this year since ALL of them would be gone.

I snapped out of my reverie by my brother wrapping his arms around me and giving me a bear hug. I jumped.

"Umm… why?"

"What? Can't a brother just give his little sister a hug?"

"When it's you, no." Chan said. I hadn't realized that she was there too.

"I wasn't even talking to you."

"Anyway, do you guys know why Mom wants to talk to us?" I said changing the subject.

"Nope but Papa's been grinning like crazy all afternoon. You know it has to be really good to make him smile like that." Chandra said. I nodded.

Oh, wait! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Brianna Michele Pierson (aka Bri or Bri-Bri). As you can see, I have two siblings: Chandra (Chan) and Jarrett. We live with our jamii, or family, consisting of our mom (a.k.a. Mama), Sybil, our grandma Anna (Nana) (whom I am named after), and our grandpa Vernon (Papa). We live in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa. I come from a long line of pureblood Black Voodoo queens. Well, the voodoo line stopped with my Nana. My Nana was a known healer in the African Wizarding world and my Papa was a well-known Auror. My Mom works at the Gringotts Bank branch here in South Africa.

I have three best friends: Rebecca Laurent, Brittani Hawk, and Amy Baxter. Here in our small little village we speak Swahili.

I have dark skin (Hence the black voodoo queen thing) with black hair to my shoulders. I also have glasses. Chandra and I could be twins except that she is taller and doesn't have glasses. People actually think that Jarrett and I are twins. He even has glasses. But he is taller. Everyone's taller than me. Sigh. Well, now that you know a little about me lets get back to the story.

When got to our house Nana was waiting for us. So it was her who had called.

"Whatever I did, I didn't do it." I said hastily.

"Nobody's in trouble. We just need to talk to you." We all looked at each other. What was going on!?

"I have some good news and some bad news. Good news is I got a new job! Bad news is we'll have to move and you guys won't go to Cleopatra's anymore. You'll go to Hogwarts." Mom said to us. We stared at her for a minute then said at the same time,

"What!"

Thus, we moved into a house in London, England.

September 1st, 1991

The last year has been really hard for us. A few months after we moved, our grandpa died. Nana was devastated. We all were actually. But he knew it was coming. He was prepared. If only he had given us a warning…

Now we're getting ready to get on the Hogwarts Express in 2 days. We had met Professor Dumbledore in July. He had sorted Jarrett and Chan. Jarrett was in Slytherin and Chan was in Gryffindor. I don't know what house I want to be in, but I think I want to be in Gryffindor with Chan…

It's September 1st. In 3 hours we will be on our way to Hogwarts. I am so scared. What if I don't make any friends? What if there was a mistake and I'm not really a witch? I'm about to hyperventilate!

"CHAN!" I screamed.

"Nini? Nini mbaya? [What? What's wrong?]" She said rushing into the room we shared.

"Nini kama si kufanya rafiki yoyote? [What if I don't make any friends?] What if I'm not really a witch?" I cried close to tears. My big sister came up and hugged me.

"It'll be ok. You'll make friends. And you ARE a witch. Remember the time you and Rebecca caught the field next to the village on fire? That was definitely you." She reassured me. "Now, make sure your trunk is packed and come down for breakfast." With that she walked out of the room.

"See you at Christmas! We'll miss you." Nana said as she hugged me.

"Bye Nana. I'll miss you, too." I pulled out of my Nana's death grip hug and looked around. Jarrett was getting a hug and a warning from Mama and Chan was hugging our shangazi (aunt) Iris. Iris, Nana's youngest sister, had come to stay with us after Papa died. After we had hugged everyone we boarded the train and leaned out the window and waved until the train rolled away.

"Well I'm going to find a compartment. Maybe I can find the boys I met in Diagon Alley. Bye, see you when we get to school." Chan said leaving. Jarrett then went to find his own compartment leaving me on my own. Oh, what wonderful siblings I had. Scared, I walked down the hallway looking in compartments as I went. I finally got to one with only two boys in it. In struggled, thickly accented English I said,

"Can I sit here? There is no place else." They nodded.

"I'm Ron Weasley," the boy with red hair said.

"I'm Harry Potter," the boy with black hair introduced himself.

"Hi. I'm Brianna Pierson. You can call me Bri." The Ron boy's eyebrows furrowed.

"Why are you talking all weird?" I was waiting for that question.

"I'm from South Africa. I don't understand English that well."

"Oh… That's cool." Just then the compartment door opened. A pair of tall, red headed twins was standing in the doorway. A dark skinned, nervous face was behind them.

"Hey Ron," one of the twins said. "We're going down to the middle of the train. Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there!"

"Right," Ron mumbled.

"Anyway," the other twin started, I'm George, that's Fred, and we're Ron's brothers. This is our new friend, Chandra." The twin said turning to Harry and I. I jumped up and tackled Chan in a hug. I was so happy to see my big sister. She hugged me back. I pulled back and the boys were staring at the two of us funny. In the same struggled English that I used, Chan explained.

"Bri is my little sister."

"Hi." I said to the twins timidly.

"Well little sister, eh? We see you've met our little brother," one of the twins, Fred, I think, said. The other twin, George, bent down so he was eye level to me.

"If he starts being a git," he whispered, "just come find me. I'll take care of him." I giggled and nodded. He stood back up.

"Well we'll just be going. Come find us if you want to see the tarantula." Fred winked at me. Chan gave me one more hug and they left.

"Well that was interesting." Harry said. I giggled and nodded. I sat back down. Suddenly a girl with bushy brown hair and big teeth came in.

"Have you seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one."

"No sorry." Harry said. The girl turned to Ron, who had his wand out.

"Oh, are you about to do magic? Let's see it then." Ron, looking surprised, cleared his throat and recited the "spell".

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow. Turn this stupid fat rat yellow!" Nothing happened.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" the girl asked. "Well it's not very good is it? I've only tried a few simple ones myself, but they've all worked for me. Nobody in my family is magic at all, it was such a surprise when I got the letter, but I was ever so pleased of course, I mean it's the very best school of witchcraft and wizardry there is- I've heard. I've learnt all our set books off by heart; I just hope it'll be enough. I'm Hermione Granger by the way- and you are?" I had no idea what this girl had just said. I looked at the two boys who seemed as confused as me.

"Ron Weasley. And that's Brianna Pierson but she has no clue what you said 'because she doesn't understand English very well so you just confused her."

"Really?" Hermione asked looking fascinated. Ron nodded. Hermione turned back to me, as I was still confused. She started talking slowly like talking to a toddler. "I'm Hermione Granger; nice to meet you." She smiled. I smiled back.

"I'm Brianna Pierson, call me Bri."

"Sorry if I confused you earlier. I'm a fast talker."

"It's ok. I am too, in my own language." Hermione smiled then turned to Harry.

"Sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"Harry Potter." Hermione gasped.

"Are you really? I know all about you, of course—I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

"Am I?" said Harry, feeling dazed.

"Goodness, didn't you know? I would have found out everything I could if it was me," said Hermione. "Do you all know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... "

"I want to be with my sister in Gryffindor, but my brother's in Slytherin," I said. Ron gasped.

"Your Brother's in Slytherin? I heard there wasn't a wizard who hadn't gone bad in that house!" I sniffed.

"Well I'm sure that's not true. Don't believe all the rumors you hear…"

After a few more hours, we finally made it to the castle. Harry, Ron and I got into one of the boats that Hagrid led us too. A boy was already sitting there. He was a regal looking black boy, about as dark as myself. He had high cheekbones and a permanent smirk or scowl, I couldn't tell which one. Those were the tell tale signs of a pureblood. I sat down next to him. After the boats got moving, I decided to end the awkward silence.

"Um, my name is Brianna. What is yours?" I asked the boy. He looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Blaise," he said shortly. We didn't speak for the rest of the ride.

I'M IN GRYFFINDOR! The sorting was long and I was tired of standing still when Professor McGonogall got to the 'P's.

Hmmm… Where to put you? You have ambition to prove yourself… Slytherin like your brother? However, I sense some bravery hidden inside you. Gryffindor like your sister? Hmmm… very difficult… GRYFFINDOR!

Harry was sorted after me and he went to Gryffindor as well. As we waited for Ron to most likely join us, many other names were called. Twins by the last name of Patil came to Gryffindor, a tall black boy called Dean Thomas joined as well. The talkative girl from the train, Hermione, and the boy with the lost toad, Neville, was also in Gryffindor. Finally, Ron was called and he, of course, was in Gryffindor, too. The last person to be sorted was the boy from the boats, Blaise. His last name was Zabini. He intrigued me but the fascination subsided when he was called to Slytherin. That was the last time I would think of him for three years.