Chapter One In Which We Start the Beginning

It was raining hard. On a day like this, people wouldn't be out on the streets. It was odd for it to be raining, this early in the summer. Normally the day would be sunny and bright, but today seemed to be an exception. It was pouring down hard. The streets were empty except for a single person.

The man seemed to be on a mission. He was wearing a black leather jacket that had seen better days. His cargo pants were soaked through and his military issued combat boots were making small splashes in the water they treaded on. This man was hunched over, trying to keep the rain from trickling down his neck. His shaggy black hair was dripping with the rain water and kept running in his face.

He seemed to arrive at his destination when he turned sharply into an old tavern looking building. As he walked into the doorway, his clothes immediately dried and he wiped his boots on the rug set in the doorway.

"Hay there, Liam! DJ, and Haydn are in the back booth. Zoey was here earlier but she said she had some business to take care of," said a lady from behind a bar, light heartedly. Her black hair was pulled back into a small bun and her dark tan was emphasized by her dark blue three-quarter shirt. She was about nineteen the most.

"Mmhm, thanks Jazzy," smiled the boy referred to as Liam, revealing a set of white teeth that seemed out of place on the scruffy boy. His black hair was covering his forehead, but his vibrant green eyes seemed to glow with affection towards the girl. Either way, he made his way to the back of the brightly lit tavern. He quickly spotted the two girls mentioned before.

It wouldn't be hard to spot the two girls even if he didn't know where to look for them. The first had eyes that looked like sunflowers, a mix of yellow and brown, and a little green in some places. She was small for being fourteen, but Liam knew that she was like nitro glycerin, one drop packed a punch. Her black cargo pants and her black tank top didn't seem to belong on such a girl. He recognized the shirt, it was her "Unlucky" shirt that she had dubbed her lucky shirt, because it showed her black tattoos perfectly and made people wary of picking a fight. Plus, it made her look sexy and made her flaming hair look brighter. Or at least that's what she said. A chain was hanging from a belt loop into her pocket, and he knew it was clipped onto a coin purse. She had a spiked dog color and a locket hanging on her neck, both a gift from him, and her wrists were red and black gummies. To top it off, her head sets covered her ears, yet he could hear AC/DC blaring from them. All of this giving her the appearance of a punk that had been in enough fights for the day and did not want to be disrupted. And that was how it was. He also knew that it was just a façade. Everyone in his little gang was like that. Putting up a mask of bravery and toughness. It was the way they had been raised to survive, eat or be eaten.

Everyone called her Haydn, but that wasn't her real name. Her real name was Scarlet. Rightly named too, because her hair was like a living fire. This is to be expected of a fire elemental, of course. This is why she liked to show her tattoos. They weren't really tattoos, but they were intricate black lines that seemed to act like and tried to be fire, without actually being fire. Or moving for that matter. As it was once put, it wasn't "what a fire is, it's what a fire be". They covered the upper part of her back and they seemed to trail onto her shoulders.

The other girl just stared blankly at the other girl. This girl was the size her age. She was about thirteen and her hair was as black as night. It wasn't as long as Scarlet, whose hair came to the middle of her back; this girl's barely touched her shoulders. Her eyes were gray, but never showed any sign of life or thought or emotion. They only ever showed an old knowing about the pain and suffering that the world could evoke on any given person... This is all to be expected from a master at occlumency and legilimency. The youngest the world would ever know.

Unlike Scarlet, she didn't care if people used her name or not. That is if she ever told them. She never talked to anyone. Liam and Scarlet were the only exceptions, and even then, she didn't speak aloud. Somehow she had developed a way to "talk" to people by sending her thoughts to people. It wasn't completely perfected, but Liam had given her a charm that linked their minds, so that she could always talk to him and know where to find him. Unlike Scarlet, she wasn't an elemental and she didn't outwardly express herself, but she was a talented witch. They called her Danielle; Danny or DJ for short.

However, this has nothing to do with the reason they were all gathering here today.

As Liam approached the table, he saw Danny glance at him from the corner of her eye. Her expression didn't show that she had seen him, but he knew that she did when Scarlet, opened her eyes and looked his direction.

"Harry!" she almost shouted. She jumped out of the booth and right into his arms.

"Omph-" he stumbled as she ran into him. It was true he had dropped off the grid for a while, but that was why he was here. He had important information for them.

She jumped back quickly as Danny walked up to him. "Where the hell have you been anyways! Danny hasn't even been able to link with you! Do you know how worried we were? You could have died and we wouldn't even know! Oh God! What would I have told Zoey? She would have been devastated! And Rhea-" she began to rant.

"Scarlet-" he began.

"Jazzy would have killed me! Then she would have told Kaden and he would have gone all military on my ass-"

"Scarlet!" he started again.

Yet again he was interrupted. He decided to ignore her rant and looked at Danny. She had a bruise on her wrist. He took it into his hand and examined it. He looked at her not wanting any excuses. "What happened," he said quietly, trying to keep his cool.

"Justin and his crew found me in the library. I got away and I'm fine. You should have seen their faces when they saw Duke and Cooper. He looked like he was going to wet himself!"

Her words brushed against his mind like a cool summer's breeze. He suddenly got the image of a scuffed up man about eighteen and as white as a sheet in an alley way. He heard vicious snarling from behind him and his body was enveloped in a black shadow. The man before him trembled so much it looked like he was going to wet himself. As per what Danny had said.

Harry found himself back in the tavern, and even though Danny's face stayed the same, he could have sworn he saw an amused expression in her eyes.

He burst out laughing, interrupting Scarlet's rant. She stopped and glared at Harry. He clutched at his stomach, his eyes tearing up. "I-I-I have… Ne-ver seen him so scared!" he said.

Scarlet scuffed, "She told you about Justin?"

He nodded. Once he was done laughing, his face became serious. "I have some news about my parents. I have found the location of their graves and my old home…" he said trailing off.

Scarlet's face also became serious as she nodded her acknowledgement. There was a defeated and sorrowful look in her eyes, but it was accompanied by acceptance and understanding.

He sat in their booth with a heavy sigh, as Jazzy came by with their usual drinks. He took his mug of rum in his hands. The alcohol warmed his body as it settled in his stomach. "I just wanted to let you know I'm going to London for a while as I find out more-"

Before he could continue, Scarlet interrupted him. "We're going with you. All of us. Zoey and Rhea are at the apartment, so you can't sneak away. They'll block your escape, and don't try to worm your way out of it either," she said with finality. There was no arguing with her when she made up her mind, so he didn't even try. He was tired as it was and arguing with her would only make him more exhausted.

"Fine," he sighed. "We'll have to leave soon."

He waved for Jazzy's attention. She excused herself from some customers and walked straight over. Her hips swaying a little in her blue jeans.

"What's up, guys?" she said, brushing her brown wavy hair out of her face. Her brown eyes were calculating the look on Harry's face. Out of every one, she had known Harry the longest. Even though Danny was the only one with a mental link, she could guess what he was thinking almost as fast as Scarlet could.

"I'll be gone for a while, in England, well actually we all will," he said motioning to everyone in the booth. "Do you think you think you could look after my apartment?"

"You know I will, "she said sincerely. She didn't like him leaving, but she knew she couldn't stop him. "If anything happens you can contact me by Floo, anytime and place, I'll help you. No matter what I'll be there for you. That goes for Kaden too."

"Nothing is going to happen, Jazzy, we'll be back before you know it" Harry replied lightly.

"Yeah that's what you said when you went to Mexico. And now you're banned," she retorted.

"It was a misunderstanding!" he said defensively.

"Right, did you know that Kaden is still trying to smooth things over with their government!"

"I didn't know any better! I was only 12!"

"Yes and now you're what, fourteen?"

"Yes!" he replied indignantly.

"Yet, you still have the maturity of a nine year old. Amazing isn't it?"

~~!~~

Harry was waiting on the sidewalk outside of his apartment waiting for the girls to come out. He had a military duffel bag strapped across his back and a suit case by his side. He was still wearing his leather jacket even though it had stopped raining. He touched the shrunken piano in his pocket. It was a gift from Kaden's grandmother before she died. When Jazzy finally told Kaden about Harry, they had done everything short of adopting him into their family.

Kaden's grandmother was a very strong woman. Emotionally speaking, of course, although, she could swat you with a ladle like no one's business. Her name was Elinor McGonagall. She had a musical touch to her and she taught Harry how to play piano, guitar, drums, and almost every instrument there was. She had written many compositions, which she had taught Harry. She had preformed them all through out England, before she eventually moved to America to avoid the darkness that seemed to be growing over there.

Harry didn't know much about her life in England. Only that she had left against her parents wishes. He knew that she had a sister that she had loved dearly. He had seen many pictures of her on the mantle of her living room. Otherwise, that was it. When Elinor was on her death bed, Harry had played the piano constantly for her. She eventually gave it to him. "No one will appreciate as much as you, nor will they be able to play it as beautifully."

Elinor had died shortly after.

He still played. The piano that is. He played on no other piano except for hers, and he always had it with him. He had someone put an automated shrinking charm and an unbreakability charm also. That way, it wouldn't get damaged when he got into fights.

Harry sighed and took out the keys to his 1992 Jeep Cherokee. Even though he was only fourteen, he did look very mature. Most people thought he was sixteen or seventeen, not because he was that tall or anything, but because he was lean, muscular, and had an air of maturity about him. Although the people who knew him well enough, wouldn't have been able to say that with a straight face.

He unlocked the doors and put his bags in the back. Closing the back of the car, he walked back into his apartment. A little girl was sitting on a pink and purple suitcase next to the door. She had straight brown hair with many sun-bleached streaks in it. She looked at Harry with her green brown eyes and smiled. She jumped up and ran into his arms. "VREE! We're going to England!" she squealed.

He chuckled at her excitement. "I know Firefly, you told me before, remember?"

"Oh, yeah huh," said the little seven year old. She jumped down and wrapped an arm around his leg protectively. She may have been seven, but the girl was quite small for her age, making her look much younger. Which she fully took advantage of at times. "Will we come back?"

"Of course we will, Firefly," he said in reply. He didn't know where that question had come from but the look in the girl's face said she doubted him.

Just then Zoey danced up to him, her brown eyes alight with mischief. She had her green dyed hair in a loose ponytail. It wasn't very long but it came to her shoulders and she didn't like it getting in her eyes so she had it in her black hat. She was wearing her black three-quarter shirt that covered only half of her stomach and some black cargo pants that hung loosely on her hips. Her red convers were worn and faded but she swore she would never wear another type of shoe so long as she lived.

"Hello Liam," she said lightly.

"Hey Sparky, how's it hanging?"

"Like a possum in a tree," she replied with a smile, her fingers moving to twiddle with the small smiley charm that was also on a chain around her neck. On her wrist was a chain with smooth rocks on them. Only when the light hit them, was he able to see the Norse runes engraved into them.

"You ready?" he said looking at the suitcase and the canvas messenger bag she had with her.

"Yup, jeep unlocked?" she asked.

"Yup," he said. "Firefly, why don't you go with her and put your stuff in the back of the Jeep with Zoey?"

"Come on Rhea, let's go," said Zoey taking the small girl's hand.

As they left the apartment, two large dogs trotted up to him. They were both Rhodesian ridgebacks, although one was a lighter color than the other. He crouched down so he could rub the two down. "Did any one pack a bag for Duke and Cooper?" he shouted to the car.

"I didn't!" shouted Zoey from the car.

"Not me!" shouted Rhea.

"I have it right here," said Scarlet, walking up to him with a duffel bag, two suit cases and two leashes, one orange and one red. She handed them to Harry, who matched the leashes to the right dogs. Then he took one of the bags from her, and they walked out to the car. He helped her load the bags into the back and then he motioned the dogs into the back. Both leaped up and over the bags and the back seat to lay down by Zoey and Rhea's feet. Scarlet walked up to the front of the car and opened the passenger seat and looked at the two girls in the middle of the car.

"This is your last chance to grab anything before we leave. Once we leave we won't be able to come back for anything for a while. We'll be in England for a week or so, while we get things settled with Harry's parents and stuff," she said to them. As she lectured to them about what they should have and what not, Harry went back inside to grab a stack of CDs. He looked around my small apartment. It wasn't much but they were able to afford it, with his and Scarlet's job. Looking older did have its quirks after all.

Currently, Harry worked with a construction crew and Scarlet worked where ever she could. Over the summer they typically moved to the Midwest and worked on the ranches. They were never in one place for too long. Although he had to admit this was the longest they had stayed here. If he had to say why, he would say it was mostly because of Jasmine and her tavern. But if he were to be honest, it was because he liked it here on the coast. It was a small house and it wasn't very far from the beach.

Despite its size, it was able to fit all seven of his "family" members. Zoey and Scarlet shared a room down the hall and to the left. Across the hall, was the room Harry shared with Kaden when he visited, and finally Rhea's room. The bathroom was at the end of the hall and even though it was small, they managed. Same with the kitchen and dining room. The living room was the largest room in the apartment. It wasn't much but it was plenty for them. He made sure that all the windows were closed and locked, before he walked back to the front door.

His neighbor from next door was opening his door when he saw Harry locking his. His name was Jerry and they both had the same construction job. "Hey Liam! You heading on a trip?"

"Yeah I'm locking up right now," Harry said lightly.

"Where you headed?" Jerry asked, his black hair was cropped short and covered with saw dust.

"Visiting some family back east," he replied knowing the man would know he would mean England. Harry still had a slight accent, even though he had been living in the States since he was seven.

"Oh well, I'll make sure Shawn knows. You know how he is with phones," he said chuckling and waving good bye to Harry as he walked away.

"Thanks Jerry!"

And with that Harry got into his car and drove to a nearby abandoned field. "Is every one ready?" he asked. "I got the boarder watchers to spell the car. This is your last chance to back out."

When no one objected he said a silent spell. They all felt a familiar tugging behind their naval, and then they were in England.