A/N Hello, lovely readers! So, I should never-ever be a writer because my inspiration goes like ZAT. So this is my NEW story that I'm doing because I have recently read the most awesome stories with the 'Golden Trio + an OC'. This is MY version, and you'll be pleased to know that I've actually FINISHED - YES FINISHED, this book, so I shall be updating regularly (probably after Christmas though) and I can start the second book! So please review - they make me happy and if I get them, I'll update - K? I hope you like this!

Chapter One

The News

Amara Matthews huffed in annoyance at the stubborn piece of dry lasagne that was sticking obstinately onto the cooking pot she was trying to wash up. Her younger siblings, Ethan and Tessie, were, instead of helping, playing with the bubbles from the washing up liquid and giggling happily. Tessie, who was only seven, was standing on a precarious pile of books that Amara had placed there (with dire warnings to be careful) so she could join in as she was very small and the stool she used to use was broken. Her parents had vacated the area with the excuse of 'work', which Amara thought was funny, as that afternoon they had gone to a Wildlife Park in Southampton and hadn't even mentioned 'work'.

Amara had had fun at the Wildlife Park; they had driven down from their house and had had great fun looking at all the animals. They had also stopped by at Amara's grandparents' house for a cup of tea before going home.

Amara was happy that it was the summer holidays – her parents had decided to take a week off so they could do things together before it ended and Amara had to go to her new school. She didn't particularly want to go – it looked big and frightening when her school went for a tour. She preferred her Primary School with its bright colours and friendly teachers. She had been there since she was four, before that she had gone to a playschool in London. She had hated it there, especially after what had happened on her second day.

Her parents had forgotten about it a long time ago – with Ethan and Tessie and the move, but Amara had never forgot, eventhough she was very young when it had happened. She had enjoyed her first day immensely – they got to do painting and colouring (she had painted a flower and had proudly presented it to her parents after school). But the day after, they could play in the sandpit. Another boy, called Aaron, was also there with her. She had been making a sandcastle with some buckets and had just finished when Aaron had come over and smashed it. Amara, who was very proud of it, got angry at him. She didn't mean any harm to him (she said afterwards) but one second he was there next to her, and the next, he was on the floor on the other side of the classroom, crying. The toys he had been playing with were broken on the floor. Her teacher, Mrs Morris, was bewildered but angry. She hadn't a clue how he had ended up as far away as possible from Amara, but Aaron had told her that she had pushed him. Amara had got very upset. Amara shuddered at the memory of her shouting. Her parents had been shocked at what Mrs Morris had told them, but reasoned, along with the head teacher, that Amara couldn't have pushed the boy so far across the classroom.

Her Mother had been insistent on the choice of secondary school, as it was her old school and said that it was 'very good' in her day and that she'd make better friends than she had now. Amara had just gone along – she didn't care about it, she just wanted something new. Her friends were not that great, in all honesty, and she sort-of wanted new ones that weren't fickle. She wondered if anything exciting would ever happen, except from getting a new book. Amara sighed to herself and blinked in surprise as the piece of lasagne finally chipped off.

Amara frowned at it, as for only a second before; she swore it was firmly stuck onto the pot. It was another weird thing – just a tiny one – that always seemed to happen to her. Once again, when she was four and found out her mum was having another baby, she got so angry that every vase and picture frame glass smashed in the lounge. Her parents, along with her, had been very shocked. Another time, when she was doing her school nativity, she got so angry because she wasn't made the Star that, weirdly, she made Poppy Wood's (the actual Star) hair turn bright green for a week. All these occurrences left Amara in a muddle, but she had eventually blown it off, after her friends had assured her that it wasn't her and that it was actually Poppy's shampoo. She had tried to control her anger in the last few years so her friends stuck by her – it was good to have them. She knew that something funny always happened when she did get angry – her parents, though, laughed it off and said it was her 'imagination'.

After washing up the rest of the plates and cutlery (and mopping the floor free of soapy bubbles) she took Tessie upstairs to her bedroom to help put her to bed. Ethan had wondered off to watch TV with her parents. Tessie's bedroom was quite big; the walls were pale pink and had swirly silver and purple butterflies on them. Everything had a slight pink tinge to it – the lights had pink lampshades and there was a pink dolls house on the floor. There was a pink rug on the cream carpet (covering a stain of chocolate milk – a nasty spillage).

"Amara?" asked Tessie, wriggling under her butterfly print duvet and a load of brightly coloured teddies. "Can you tell a story? Mummy's read all the books on the shelf now. I don't want to read them again like she does."

Amara smiled "Okay… what do you want it to be about?"

"Witches! Like the one you dressed up for at Hallowe'en last year." grinned Tessie, making Amara look at the picture on her bedside table. It was of Amara, Tessie and Ethan, all dressed up ready for Hallowe'en. Amara was wearing a star-covered cloak with a black dress and a pointy hat adorned on her head. She held a cauldron to collect her sweets and her face was painted green. Tessie, after she had gotten over her fright of seeing Amara, was dressed up as a pumpkin with an orange face and Ethan was a vampire (he had outright refused to wear a witch's costume that Amara and Tessie said he should wear, much to their disappointment).

Amara rolled her eyes and giggled "They're not real Tess; they're just make-believe and used to scare people."

"No they're not! Why would someone make it up?"

"For a story! So it would be interesting!" she ignored the twinge in her stomach.

By the time Amara had finished the story, Tessie was asleep, so she crept out of the room and down the stairs to the very small library they had in their extension. She had been reading a very interesting book, and she couldn't wait to continue it.

By a glance, nobody would realise that Amara found some books interesting – especially a good fiction novel. But she did – classics, new ones, and old ones – anything that caught her fancy.

Amara didn't care so much for how she looked all the time (which her friends thought was silly) but her hair, which was a colourful dark brown, fell silkily down to just under her shoulders and swished and shined in the light, her eyes – a nice hazel – were bright and happy. Amara had other things to fuss about than wondering whether her hair was perfect (which meant some of the time it was just a massive dreadlock or looked like she had been dragged through a bush backwards, as her mum liked to put it) or if she looked 'ok'. She liked to sketch when she had the inspiration, or go on 'adventures' with Ethan. This normally meant coming home drenched with water or bruises blooming before their eyes. She always made them go climb a tree or they'd dare each other to jump in the freezing cold river. Mr and Mrs Matthews had long since told them off – they just sighed now and went off to get the first-aid box.

Her parents came into the lounge as she curled up onto the sofa in the library; they were talking quietly, so Ethan wouldn't wake up as an excuse to stay up late. Because he was nine, he had decided his bedtime, was too early, and made any excuse to stay up. His most recent one was that Mr and Mrs Matthews talked too loudly in the lounge.

Amara smiled at the memory and started to read her book, which was a classic. It was 'The Hobbit' which she was enjoying enormously. She had only read the first chapter of many, but knew it would keep her occupied for a long while.

She read for about an hour before her eyes went all droopy and her head nodded. Soon she was fast asleep on the page, snoring quietly.

Her dream was very weird – from what she remembered, there was Tessie in it, and she was proclaiming that she was a witch. She had got a broomstick and transfigured Amara into a worm. Before she flew away, she prodded her lightly again and again.

Someone was prodding her lightly in real life, but Amara didn't want to know. She liked the weird dream she was having. She wished she was a witch like Tessie too.

"Amara? Sweetie, it's time for bed."

Amara lifted her head off her book slowly and stifled a yawn. The page had stuck to her face and ripped a little. She sighed but closed it anyway.

"W-what time is it?" she said, the yawn, knowing its chance, escaped readily.

"It's nearly eleven – we didn't see you in here! We thought you were upstairs. C'mon, you'll be a right grouchy girl in the morning."

Amara had barely got ready for bed in her large loft-converted bedroom before she sunk into her queen sized bed and fell asleep.

-OOOOOOO-

Amara woke a little later than normal the next morning, but she was still a little tired. She got out of her bed (eventhough it was very cosy) and got washed and dressed. Before going down to breakfast she sat on the windowsill above her bed and looked down the very quiet drive with a load of big new brick houses. Her own house was a very reasonable size – there were four bedrooms (her parents, Tessie's, Ethan's and hers) three bathrooms, a small library and art studio, a lounge, kitchen/diner and a study. They had lived there for seven years – ever since Tessie was born. Before that, they lived in a small, two bedroomed flat in the outskirts of London. Amara hadn't liked it much – she had had to share a room with Ethan. But Mr Matthews had got a decent job and was able to make the move, so they were happy. They had thought of moving again, but Amara talked them out of it, for where they lived, in Winchester, was perfect for them and they were very cosily settled in. Amara, in a daze, didn't notice the strangely dressed woman who appeared, as though out of thin air, at the end of the long drive. She also didn't notice when she started to walk up towards her house.

Amara, having received toast and juice from her Mum, was munching happily when the doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?" murmured Mrs Matthews as Tessie yelled that she would get it, wearing only her pyjamas and slippers.

"MUUUM!" Tessie yelled very loudly from the front door "A WEIRD LADY IS HERE TO SEE YOU AND AMARAAA!"

"Tessie!" admonished Mrs Matthews as she hurried out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron "That's rude!"

Amara, brushing crumbs off her fingers, hopped off into the hall as well, to see what the fuss was about.

A tall thin woman with curly blonde hair stood on the doormat. She looked normal, apart from the fact that she looked like she was wearing some sort of cloak-dress you could buy at a costume shop.

"Mummy, why is she wearing dress –up clothes?" Tessie asked tugging at her Mum's apron.

The strange woman laughed before stepping smartly into the house, without invitation. Weirdly, Amara didn't feel affronted by this, but quite calm.

"Do you mind if I come in? We have a lot to discuss…"

Mrs Matthews nodded dazily, wondering who on earth the lady was. Five minutes later, Amara, her mum and dad and the strange lady were in the lounge, laden with tea.

"You must be Amara?" she asked, Amara nodded. She turned to her parents.

"I am Clarisse Smith from the Ministry of Magic and am here to inform you that your child Amara has a place at a very special school - Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She rummaged in her handbag and produced a sealed envelope, before handing it to Amara.

Perplexed, she flipped it over and saw, on the old-fashioned parchment, a wax seal with a crest on it. It had inscribed: a lion, a badger a snake and an eagle surrounding a large 'H'. With trembling fingers, she ripped it open.

Two sheets of the parchment fell out, but she opened the first. The ink was a nice emerald green and was in a very neat, curly scrawl. It didn't seem to be written in a normal pen, but Amara did not know what it was written with.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Matthews

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.

Yours sincerely

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Amara stared at the letter until the writing went out of focus. Wordlessly she gave it to her parents to read. They read it silently and without a sound. Mrs Matthews was gaping like a fish whilst Mr Matthews was wide-eyed and interested. Clarisse sat patiently, drinking the tea politely.

"I'm a witch?" Amara asked bluntly after a while of silence.

Clarisse nodded "Yes."

"And it says 'we await your owl'."

Clarisse nodded again.

"AMARA'S A WITCH!" yelled a voice from outside the door. With a bang, Ethan and Tessie tumbled into the room.

Clarisse smiled "I think I need to explain…"

-OOOOOOO-

Around two hours later, after Amara and her parents had completely exhausted Clarisse with question after question, the family and Clarisse decided to make a trip to Diagon Alley to get the supplies needed. They had decided to let Amara go to Hogwarts, as Amara had pointed out, it was 'a once in a lifetime thing' and 'who wants to go to a normal school anyway?'. Her Mum was slightly worried and sad that she was to go away the whole year and not know where she was, but Clarisse had squashed it down with 'Hogwarts is a very safe place' and 'You can still see her at Christmas'. Her mum and dad, as they were as excited and eager as Amara was, decided they would go to, meaning Tessie and Ethan got dragged along too, which they didn't seem to mind.

Amara's head was buzzing in anticipation and excitement. Who would have thought she was a witch? And after her weird dream too!

Tessie was almost flying with excitement at the prospect of going to 'magical shops'. She had started up a round of questions for Clarisse, but Amara had promised to tell her afterwards from the look on Clarisse's face.

"You said witches weren't real." Tessie pouted as they sat in their car on the motorway.

"I didn't know did I?" said Amara next to her, her mum on Amara's right. Her dad was receiving instructions from Clarisse at the front and Ethan, who was in the very backseat in the boot, was listening to his brand new headphones that he got for his birthday. They were relatively new to the 'muggle' world, as Clarisse said they were called, and didn't exist in the wizarding world, apparently, and Clarisse was fascinated with them when she first saw them.

"Am I a wizard?" piped up Ethan from the back.

"Yeah, am I a witch?" asked Tessie

"How come I'm magical and Mum and Dad aren't?" asked Amara

Clarisse answered the questions quickly "The two of you could be – it is quite likely and Amara, you are something called a 'Muggleborn'. This means you have muggle parents. The other ones are called Half-bloods – half and half, and Purebloods, which have both wizard parents. You might find some people don't like Muggleborns, but don't worry, they are old-fashioned and are prejudice."

"Why don't they like us?" asked Amara

"They don't think you're worthy… but let's not talk about that, only a few still think that. Turn left." She added to Mr Matthews.

They, after an hour, arrived in London to find Diagon Alley. Amara was bouncing with excitement at this prospect. Clarisse directed them to Charing Cross Road, which Amara thought was interesting.

"Where is Diagon Alley? Won't it be hidden or something?"

"It's through that pub," said Clarisse as they parked the car. She was pointing at extremely dirty pub that you wouldn't be able to notice if you just walked by. In fact, Amara noted, nobody passing was looking at it except from her family.

"C'mon." Clarisse said, holding Tessie's hand (which Tessie made her do, with the words 'I'm holding hands with a witch!").

The family went through the dimly lit pub and into the small courtyard in the back, which held a dustbin and discarded bottles. They crowded in, Tessie jumping up and down.

Amara and her family looked around curiously. Clarisse, obviously knowing what to do, raised a thin wooden stick and tapped a few bricks on the wall above the dustbin. Three up and two across, Amara noticed. She tapped the brick with the stick and it started to wriggle. A hole appeared and before their eyes, it grew larger and larger until an archway led to a bright busy street.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley."

Amara was wide-eyed and stared around her in awe. It was hard to look at everything at once – an apothecary, a cauldron shop, a robe shop, a pet shop – colourful stalls, witches and wizards (Ethan swore he saw a hag). She caught snippets of everyone's conversations:

"Have you got that new recipe book? Charm your own cheese?"

"I've lost those sickles again!"

"A sickle for a jar of newts? Bargain!"

"Look 'Mara, it's a broomstick!" Ethan said excitedly "What do they do with that?"

"They fly it," said Clarisse "We have a sport."

"Awesome!" Amara and Ethan said together.

They passed an Owl shop, where the Owls hooted and shrieked at them as they passed. Ethan stuck out his tongue at them.

"Clarisse? How do we pay for all these things? The currency is bound to be different." Mrs Matthews said nervously, looking at a witch selling sweets that was making a child float. Amara wanted to try one.

"Oh yes, we'll go to Gringotts – the wizard bank. Our currency is Galleons, Sickles and Knuts. There are twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle and seventeen Sickles to a Galleon. Galleons are gold, Sickles are silver and Knuts are bronze – easy enough."

They stopped to let a crowd of red-haired children chatter past – Amara thought they looked friendly- before heading up the steps of a grand, snowy white building.

"What does it say you need to buy again?" asked Clarisse to Amara. She unfolded the second piece of parchment and read aloud.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Uniform

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain black work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.

Set Books

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

Other Equipment

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set of brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST-YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

"Be careful of Goblins- you don't want to get on the wrong side of them." Clarisse warned as they passed two stern Goblins at the entrance. Amara gulped nervously.

They entered a Hall that was made out of marble. There were Goblins everywhere, weighing huge jewels and treasure. Tessie's eyes were so wide they could pop out. The family unconsciously moved together as they passed. Clarisse walked importantly up the hall to a Goblin who was writing something down.

"I'm here to exchange muggle money." she said, after the Goblin looked up.

"Indeed, would you like to set up a vault for future extractions or would you prefer to exchange now?" asked the Goblin. Clarisse looked at the nervous faces.

"We'll just exchange now."

"How much?" asked Mr Matthews, reaching for his wallet.

"I think about forty Galleons would be sufficient- you'll probably have some left over." said the Goblin.

-OOOOOOO-

A while later, Amara was standing outside the first wizarding shop she would go into, it was a robe shop – which was the cloak-dress thing that Clarisse was wearing. It was called Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

The family went inside. A witch with purple robes came out to greet them.

"Hogwarts?" she asked immediately, looking at her.

They nodded and Amara was shown to the back room. Clarisse and her family were told to wait.

"I have another customer too – just hop on that stool please." said the witch, who was actually Madam Malkin.

An assistant was helping a girl around her age on the stool next to her. As Madam Malkin put some robes on Amara and pinned the correct length, the girl started talking to her.

"Are you going to Hogwarts too?" she asked, shaking her blonde hair out of her face.

Amara nodded as Madam Malkin went to stitch her robes up.

"I'm Sally-Anne Perks by the way – found out this morning I was witch, my parents were shocked but it's all very exciting isn't it?" she said, her voice brimming with excitement.

Amara grinned "Same, I'm Amara Matthews."

"I can't wait to go to Hogwarts, you know, I wonder what's going to be like, I asked so many questions to the witch who came to see me – her name is Katherine Joules – and I swear to God she looked like she was going to collapse – it was insane! I just couldn't believe it, I mean, we get to do magic and get a wand and get loads of books and stuff! My parents were truly baffled when they found out, and my little brother Micky was crying because he can't go yet. Do you have any siblings?" Sally-Anne asked in one breath.

Amara laughed inwardly at Sally's talking. "Yes," she replied "I have a younger brother and sister."

The two girls chatted whilst Madam Malkin and the assistant were finishing off. Sally-Anne finished first but Amara only had to wait another five before she finished hers.

"There you go." said Madam Malkin, handing Amara a package of three sets of robes, a cloak and a hat.

Amara thanked her, paid her and left the shop with her family and Clarisse.

Around forty-five minutes later, Amara had got all her supplies except her wand. She had brought a nice pair of crystal phials (she had swapped them from glass) and brass scales. Her telescope was able to fold up neatly and her cauldron (after being told off for wanting a gold one) was reasonable. She had brought all the set books too, and had little self-control of buying more. She ended up buying an extra magical creature's book, because she found them interesting.

Now they walked into Ollivander's Wand Shop which was what Amara had been looking forward to the most. It was empty in the mysteriously dim shop, Amara could hear every noise. Mrs Matthews sat down on the spindly chair in the corner with Tessie, who was looking nervous, on her lap. Ethan, Mr Matthews and Clarisse stood next to them, with Amara next to the desk in the middle of the shop.

"Hello," said a voice to her right, making Amara jump. "Miss…?"

"Matthews, Amara Matthews." trembled Amara

"Well, Miss Matthews, you need to wand? Ah! Miss Smith! How nice of you to come here!" smiled the man, who, Amara guessed, was Mr Ollivander. He looked old with tufty grey hair.

Clarisse nodded and smiled.

"Now, your wand was Maple and Unicorn Hair, was it not? 12 ½ inches – surprisingly springy." Mr Ollivander said

"How d'you remember that?" asked Amara in awe.

"I remember every single wand I have ever sold, Miss Matthews… shall we get started?" he asked "Hold out your wand arm."

Amara held out her right, for she wrote with that one and guessed that was what he meant.

Mr Ollivander's tape measurer measured her everywhere by itself. He came back from the shelves and deposited several long boxes onto the desk. With a snap, the tape measure fell to the floor.

"Try this – Vine and Unicorn hair, whippy." He said, picking up a dark wand from a box and handing it to her.

Amara took the wand and stared at him.

"Give it a wave!"

Amara, feeling foolish, swished the wand above her head. The wands in the boxes flung themselves around the room.

"No! No!" Mr Ollivander snatched it away.

The wand pile on the desk started to grow, sometimes Amara hadn't even touched the wand before he snatched it off again.

Amara was starting to feel desperate – what if she wasn't a witch after all?

"Here, Pear and Dragon Heartstring, strange combination, I usually use Unicorn Hair with pear… 11 ¼ inches – fairly bendy."

Amara held the wand and a warm feeling went through her hand. The wand lit up and a stream of rainbow coloured sparks arched around the shop, lighting up the dark corners. Cobwebs shone for a second before the sparks fizzled out.

"Excellent! Excellent!" cried Mr Ollivander as Clarisse and her family clapped in approval. "Pear wands usually go for the warm-hearted, the generous and the wise, it also will look new even in old age. A very fine wand indeed. That will be seven Galleons please!"

Amara handed him seven golden galleons from her purse and walked out of the shop with Clarisse and her family, grinning widely.

They decided to stop for ice-cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, for it looked friendly and they were hungry. They treated Clarisse with one, as a thank you for her help. Amara was amazed and delighted at the different flavours there were, her parents weren't brave enough to try other flavours, but Amara and Ethan bought Strawberry and Peanut Butter, and Tessie got a bubble-gum flavoured one that had fizzy balls that made you able to spit sparks.

The way home was uneventful- apart from Tessie and Ethan begging to hold Amara's wand. They had said good-bye to Clarisse outside The Leaky Cauldron, and Amara, who wanted to keep waving inside the car, was astounded to find that she had vanished in a blink of an eye.