Prologue
11 years earlier Mary held the tiny, crying bundle gently against her chest. She looked up when Sirius came in, banging the door. The bundle started crying in earnest, and Mary shot Sirius a reprimanding look.
"Voldemort killed James and Lily!" Sirius cried, disregarding the look. "But Harry's alive, and Voldemort's gone somehow, no one knows. I lent Hagrid my motorbike." Mary paled.
"Go," was all she said.
Part 1
Stacy sat on her windowsill, looking out at the busy streets of London. She looked at her watch with a sigh – it was only seven. She had been awake since four in the morning, waiting.
The sun had already risen when she heard footsteps behind her door.
'Mum,' Stacy thought. 'Something is happening.' Someone knocked on the door, and Stacy hopped down from her perch, the dark brown hair falling to flop in her eyes. The door opened and Mary stepped in with a tray. A tray containing a cup of tea, toast – and an envelope.
"Happy birthday, honey," Mary said. "I hope you have a wonderful day. Your eleventh year will be remarkable." Stacy regarded the envelope cautiously.
"Is this an April Fool's prank, like last year?" she asked dubiously. Exactly a year earlier, Mary had brought her a similar envelope. It had exploded into dust as soon as Stacy had touched it.
"No, this is real," Mary smiled. She held out the letter, and Stacy grabbed it greedily. She opened the parchment inside with shaking fingers.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Dear Miss Black,
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
And then there was a list of books, but Stacy tossed that back to her mother.
"Finally Hogwarts!" she rejoiced. "Mum, when can we go to Diagon Alley again? I need books! And a wand! And robes! And a cauldron!" She was so excited that she tripped over her own feet and fell over. But she didn't let that stop her, she just rolled onto her back and kept laughing. Then, suddenly, her face turned serious.
"I wonder what Dad would say," she said thoughtfully. "Does he know I'm going to school?" she asked. Mary nodded and smiled a sad smile before setting the tray on Stacy's desk and leaving the room. Stacy's gaze returned to the roof and her thoughts to her father. He's in Azkaban, but Mum isn't telling me why... All I know about Dad is his last name and even that only because I share mine with him. Also, Mum has said I look just like him. We have the same eyes, apparently. I want to know why he's in Azkaban, and I want to know it now.
Stacy rose slowly and crept downstairs. She peered into the kitchen and saw that her mother was sitting at the table, writing a letter. She tried to sneak closer to see the receiver, but Mary gave the letter to the owl. Stacy let out a frustrated sigh and sat next to her mother.
"Why is Dad in Azkaban?" she asked, point-blank. "I want to know! You never tell me anything about him. How do I know he even is in Azkaban? He could just be some Muggle you're ashamed of." Mary, too, sighed.
"I will tell you," she said. "When the time is right. Now, did you eat yet?" Stacy shook her head.
"I'm not hungry," she replied petulantly. She rose, went upstairs to get dressed and went into the yard.
That evening, as Stacy was brushing her teeth, she saw that her mother was once more writing a letter. She had an odd feeling that the letter was going to Azkaban. She wanted to know who the recipient would be, so she slipped out to catch the owl before it could go far.
She waited over half an hour before going back inside. Mary had released the owl on the other side of the house, and now she was acting like nothing had happened.
"Hey, Stacy, want to go to Diagon Alley tomorrow?" Mary asked. "We'll go to Gringotts, buy your school books."
"It's the first of April, Mum, Diagon Alley can wait. Until July. Or August."
Mary shrugged.
"It's your choice. But now you're going to bed, all right?"
The next day, Stacy and Mary went shopping in Muggle London. Passing a jeweller's, Stacy saw a bracelet in the window. It was a simple one, a plain sliver chain and a single golden star, but Stacy wanted it.
"Mum," she said demandingly, "I want that bracelet."
Mary looked at it with a sigh.
"No you don't, trust me. Do you want ice cream?"
"Don't change the subject! I want that bracelet. I want it, and I'm going to get it. Never mind what you think, or what anyone else thinks! End of story." she crossed her arms and looked at her mother.
"Come on, Stacy, let's just go home. I'll tell you all about Hogwarts, okay?" Reluctantly, Stacy agreed; so big was her desire to know more about that mysterious school.
N/A: So, this is it. Hope someone likes. :D