Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Harry Potter universe, or any professional basketball teams and locations mentioned in this story. If I did, the true Albus Dumbledore would still be alive and Taco Bell would be a main food group!

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

"Make sure you have everything with you. We wouldn't want you to forget something and have to send an owl for it," my mother instructed.

I sat on my blue bed sheets, and took in one last breath filled with the scent of my room. Japanese Cherry Blossom spray permeated the atmosphere, mixed with the odd smell of my sweaty basketball shorts and the dirt that they accumulated. I wouldn't enter the threshold of my house until the end of the school year, and I had to admit, for being someone who doesn't cry a lot or show emotion, the sensation overtook me before I could call back my tears.

Perhaps I should explain why I'm even crying in the first place, and who I am. My name is Katie Lewis, and I'm fifteen years old. I live in Phoenix, Arizona, and I'm a witch. Not in the sense of cold-hearted, but really a witch. I have a wand, cauldron, and textbooks filled with ancient spells and the rules of them that govern the wizarding world today. But most importantly, I was just accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

I'm sobbing for the fact that I'm leaving my peaceful and rather dusty home to fly across the Atlantic Ocean to England where I will catch a train and leave for my education. I wish that I could've just Apparated with my mother and father, but both insisted on taking a plane since I wasn't technically legally old enough to Apparate yet. Both my parents said they weren't surprised when the letter came from Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. Of course, they both went there back in their days so naturally I would attend when I was able. Unfortunately, I will be entering as a fifth-year transfer student, which brings about my dread, and my lunch.

I slowly stood up from my sitting position and crossed to my dresser, where my mirror was held up against the wall. I wouldn't call myself a Cindy Crawford, but definitely not an ugly duckling either. I weighed about one hundred and thirty five pounds, which appeared to go along with my height of five foot four inches. So what if I wasn't the stick that most girls in my Muggle high school were aiming to be, it's not like I'm a complete whale. That mostly attributes to the athletics; I'm a major basketball fan and love to play the game myself. My dirty blonde hair reaches about two inches below my shoulders, but before my recent haircut, it was about five inches longer. I have blue eyes, mixed with yellow and green and hazel.

"Katie, were you even listening to me? I said to recheck that you have everything before you leave! The caravan leaves in ten minutes!"

My mother's comment snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked through my trunk and mentally checked off all my possessions. Until I couldn't find my basketball! Look, even though wizards don't really have much to do with Muggle sports, it shouldn't be that hard to find a decent court out at Hogwarts, should it? I quickly raced down to the garage and rummaged through this giant box of footballs and tennis balls and bicycle helmets till I found what I was looking for. I smiled at its simplicity and the word Spalding implanted onto its composite leather.

There are two basketballs that I'm taking with me to Hogwarts. One I can use, and the other is so special to me that I've never let anyone look at it, let alone touch it. It's my autographed Phoenix Mercury basketball, and it's more precious to me than anything, other than food, water, family, life, etc. I should say it's my favorite material possession, along with all my other basketball collectibles from both the Mercury and the Phoenix Suns, the manly version of the Mercury.

I tripped my way up the stairs to my room. I cleared out a space in my already packed trunk and gently set it down. Satisfied that I had everything else, I closed and locked my trunk. I took my five inch unicorn haired wand and muttered, "Compacto," and the trunk shrunk to the size of a pocket watch.

I hastily put the trunk in my jeans pocket, and stopped by the mirror one more time on my way out the door. I'm not vain; I just have an OCD about looking in an okay condition before going public. The cream colored button-up top that I was wearing was a light contrast to my tan skin. My white-washed jean shorts accented the blue in my eyes, and my flip flops showed off my dirty feet. What do I care, no one I meet will automatically look at my feet the first thing they see me! I reached up and took my hair out of its ponytail and let the soft waves descend upon my shoulders. There, I was ready.

"Okay mom, I've checked everything and it's all set! Let's get a move on before we miss the plane!" I yelled to my mom as I raced down the stairs. As I reached the landing, I could hear the soft theme song of SportsCenter ringing in my pocket. I don't know if I need to tell you, but SportsCenter is just about the only show I watch. I wonder if Hogwarts has cable.

I smiled at this thought and reached for my Razr. Upon opening the device and placing it to my ear, I heard the shrilly voice of my best friend Linda occupy the space of my ear drums.

"I'm just calling to say goodbye, and that I'm going to miss you so much! I hate your parents for sending you away, you've never done anything bad in your life!" she screamed into her pitiful telephone.

"I know I hate it too. I can't believe that I'm going to live in England for ten months! Life is so unfair!" I thought the statement sounded pathetic, since I really looked forward to going to Hogwarts. Of course, my friend being a Muggle, I couldn't tell her what I really am, so I just told her my parents were sending me away to boarding school to see improvement in my schoolwork. To be honest, my grades are fine, and that fact alone makes Linda think my parents are strict psycho parents, which, of course, they're not.

"Promise that you'll write to me and call me every day! I don't care what time it is, call me in the middle of the night for all I care!"

"That sounds a little extreme! I'll probably be busy with school, so how about once a week? And I'll make sure to call at a reasonable time; your parents most likely wouldn't appreciate their bills racking up because of calls received at one in the morning every day!"

"Of course, as long as you'll call me and talk! If I weren't in stupid California I'd be over at your house right now and demanding that I were on that plane with you!"

Honestly, this girl can get so annoying with her dramatic theatrics, but she's great to have around in a tense situation. She can be so hilarious and yet so annoying at the same time! But she's my best friend, and I love her to death.

"You know damn well you would never do that! But I appreciate the thought anyway! I promise that I will call every week and give you details on everything that happens to me while I'm away, understood?"

"Yes, I understand. I'm virtually hugging the air supply right out of you, you know that? I don't know what I'm going to do without my partner in crime! Drama club will never be the same without you!"

I have to admit that I hate acting, and that I only joined Drama club because I was afraid I'd hurt her feelings if I didn't. Acting is a way to cover up your personality and who you are underneath, in my opinion. And I don't like it at all. I'd rather die than mention this to her though, because she'd probably want to see to it that I do die if I ever said this to her.

"I know, I'm in receipt of your hug as we speak. Look, I'm sorry but I've got to go, and you know airports, they're reception sucks! I'll see you when I get home next summer, alright? Be a good girl and don't pester my parents every chance you get!"

"I love you Katie! Best friends forever! See you later, which can't come sooner!"

I snapped my phone shut, and the remainder of the tears I'd managed to store away and stop from falling in my room broke through my barriers, and flowed freely. I'm not going to see anybody that's a part of my life for ten months! I'm going to have to start anew, as the American transfer student. Did I mention that there's no Americans at Hogwarts currently, which makes me the one and only?! I would've buckled down if not someone had been holding me to their chest, with their arms of comfort and condolence wrapped around my shoulders.

"I know this is tough for you, but you're going to make it through. I didn't raise a strong and brave girl for nothing, did I?" my dad whispered into my hair.

I nodded against the cotton of his shirt and pulled away to spot the telltale damage my tears did to it. He laughed it off and put his fatherly arm around my shoulders and pulled me to his side.

"What do you say we get a move on?" he smiled down at me. I reluctantly nodded.

I followed him out to our Honda Odyssey and piled into the second row of seats. My dad slid into the driver's seat, while my mom plopped onto the other. A blast of air conditioning met my face as we drove off to Sky Harbor Airport, the bricks of my one and only home fading into the rearview mirrors as we raced into the distant chaos of the Phoenician highways.

The drive took about half an hour, which is altogether good time considering the amount of traffic that normally occupies the wearied and ridden streets. We checked into the departure terminal, and found that our flight would take off from gate C23. The plane didn't leave for another hour, so we decided to take the time to do some last-minute family bonding time over blueberry muffins and Starbucks coffee.

After the snack was finished, I lead the way down to the gate, where we sat patiently and waited for the attendant to call out that the flight was boarding. Conversation didn't seem to be absolutely necessary, so I leaned my head against my father's shoulder and entwined my fingers into my mother's clammy hand. She was more nervous than I was; since I had to take a moment to wipe the perspiration generated from her hand on my shirt, and quickly let my hand be reigned by hers for the time being.

I almost didn't notice that the flight attendant had called out our flight number, until my dad shook me and tilted his head to the open gate, where other passengers' tickets and passports were being checked. We calmly went through the gate and boarded the plane, taking our seats and buckling in. A few minutes later, we were airborne.

As soon as the pilot allowed, I whipped out my iPod and plugged the ear phones to my ears. "What I've Done" by Linkin Park filled my system, and I was content with sitting there and reading my book, which was Agatha Christie. I didn't really care what the title was, since I had so many and it was hard to keep track of which one was which.

Before I knew it, the 20 hour flight had ended, and we exited the plane into the mainstream of people in London International Airport. A rush of excitement filled my being, and I knew that by the end of tonight I would be sleeping in the dormitory of one of the four houses of Hogwarts. I quickly remembered Professor Dumbledore telling me briefly about the houses of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin in my acceptance letter.

We exited into the sunshine that radiated off of the glass building, and hailed a taxi to take us to King's Cross, which I knew from the letter that it was where I would catch the Hogwarts Express. As we arrived, it seemed that there were students everywhere, clutching onto their parents, showing off their brand new robes to their schoolmates, all in all taking part in the bustle that came to be King's Cross.

Thinking of robes, I immediately thrust my hand into my pocket, where I frantically searched for my robes. Until, I recalled that Professor Dumbledore mentioned that I would not get a set of school robes until I was sorted into a house.

My mind assuaged, I took out my ticket and led my parents to platforms nine and ten. Something about this ticket confused me, and I realized it was because of the "three-quarters" added on to the nine. I looked around and saw no Platform Nine and Three Quarters, and my heart sunk. How the hell was I supposed to go to school if I couldn't even find the damn train!

"….now come along dear, we don't want you to miss the train. Ron, stop fidgeting with your trouser button and come on, we don't want Ginny to miss the train!" I saw a small woman with bushy red hair leading another girl, who I assumed to be her daughter, towards where I was standing. As I looked at the young girl, I was startled at how much she looked like her mother. And then an older boy, who I assumed to be Ron, came up with the same red hair and flashing green eyes.

"Pardon me dear, but could you please let us pass? We're late for our train and we can't miss it at all costs!" the woman pleaded.

"Actually, you might be able to help me," I responded. "Could you please tell me how to find Platform Nine and Three Quarters?"

Ron looked surprised as I said this and blurted out, "But you sound American!"

The older woman elbowed him sharply in his stomach and hissed, "Ron how could you be so rude!" Turning back to me she answered, "Of course I can! My name is Molly Weasley and these are my children Ginny and Ron."

I was glad to be introduced to the friendly woman, even if she seemed of the over helpful type. "I'm Katie Lewis, and these are my parents Jim and Kathleen. I'm a bit lost though, there doesn't seem to be a Platform Nine and Three Quarters."

"Oh nonsense, my dear! Ron will show you how to get onto the platform." Giving her son a stern glare which overpowered his "Do I have to?" look, he took his cart full of belongings and ran straight for the barrier between the platforms. I closed my eyes and waited for the crash, but none came. I looked up and saw that he'd disappeared through the barrier.

I didn't conceal my shock very well, and it was obvious to my parents and Mrs. Weasley. I asked, "Am I supposed to run through it?"

Mrs. Weasley smiled at me and said, "Of course you are dear! Just align yourself to it and run at it!" She gave me an encouraging smile as I set myself facing the barrier.

Well, here goes nothing. I sprinted toward the wall, and even though I knew I wouldn't crash, a part of me still flinched as I felt myself run through a blast of cold air, and when I opened my eyes, I saw the magnificent Hogwarts Express.

My parents apparently had followed suit, for they emerged a few seconds after me, with Ginny and Mrs. Weasley bringing up the rear. I scanned the enormous crowd of students for Ron, but no boy with vivid red hair was visible from my standpoint.

I turned to my parents. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."

"Only for a little while. Goodbyes are never permanent." My parents enveloped me in a warm embrace and I fought to keep tears from descending down my countenance. Wow, I was feeling emotional today, even without my monthly period.

I could hear a clock strike eleven, and before I knew it, Mrs. Weasley had grabbed me and pushed me onto the train alongside Ginny. I stuck my head out the window in the door and waved to my parents, the longest minute of my life passing before my eyes.