NEW STORY! So this is about little Lia, a muggleborn witch disowned by her very religious family. Please R&R!
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING YOU RECOGNIZE.
It's official: I'm homeless.
That might explain why a seven-year-old is standing in a thick coat with a small suitcase in front of a dodgy-looking pub that no one else seems to be able to see. Just maybe.
Now, as for why I was standing in a thick… oh, I'm not going to repeat that. Why I was in this situation. There.
Well, I'm a witch.
At this point, you might want to put the book down, as you obviously must think I'm crazy. Unless you are part of my new world, then you just feel bad for me.
My parents' names are Elizabeth and Michael Foster, and they are both strict Catholics. I was raised to pray every day, to go to church once a week, and that anything in the bible is correct. I was strictly forbidden to talk to our neighbour, Mr Parker, because he was dodgy, non-religious, and gay. He is also a wizard, but only I know that. When I first started showing signs of magic when I was five, he sent me a letter and explained everything. At first I thought he was crazy – who wouldn't? But as strange things kept happening, I began to believe him.
When I was five years old, I was fighting in Sunday School over some crayons. I wanted the green too! But meanie Alyssa was hogging it. To both of our great surprise, it suddenly hissed and turned into a little snake! I was happily colouring with the now back-to-normal crayon when Alyssa came back with the teacher. I was known as a troubled child, and Alyssa was the 'sweetheart', so I got punished for sneaking snakes into class and scaring her.
The story quickly spread through the neighbourhood.
My parents became quite angry with me for the whole stunt, even though I continually insisted that I had no idea how the crayon turned into a snake, I didn't do it, it was impossible. Where would I have gotten such a small snake from?
It kept happening.
By my seventh birthday, my parents had taken me to 27 doctors, 14 priests, and two psychologists. The doctors all said nothing was wrong. The psychologists said that I had abandonment issues, to which my parents scoffed. Why would I feel abandoned? I got everything I wanted – trips to exotic places, the latest technology, the best school education (not that I did well in school – at all). The priests said things from nothing was wrong to demonic and satanic possession. I went through several exorcisms, but nothing happened. Nothing changed. The day after I was let out of first grade, my parents told me to leave. I couldn't stay – I was ungodly and strange.
I went to Mr Parker. He told me that if I wanted, I could come with him to America – he was moving there for family matters. But I couldn't just leave my home. I'd lived in England my whole life. So instead, Mr Parker put an Undetectable Enlargement Charm on my trunk, helped me pack, and dropped me off outside a pub called the Leaky Cauldron. "Go up to a server and ask for a Mrs Longbottom. Ask her for a room. Explain I sent you. Here's some gold – she'll help you pay the right amount. Explain everything. Good luck – and keep in touch."
So here I am.
I gather up all my courage, take a deep breath, and open the door.