First of all, I'd like to say-like always-all these wonderful characters (except Lyra and maybe a few of my own classmates put into this fanfiction) belong to the J. K. Rowling. And so is the world; the school; the novels-everything.

Okay. So . . . Now, I'd like to tell you, that THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE SPOILERS FOR E. V. E. R. Y. BOOK. And I will be . . . taking some parts of the books to rewrite with my O.C., Lyra Black.

I don't want this AN to be toooooo long, so . . .

Enjoy my fanfic!

P.S. I am NOT a pro at fanfics, AT ALL.

Deal with me.

Thanks, guys!

I was raised by my godparents, Louis and Jean Mason-because my father, Sirius Black, was in prison. My mother, Emily Fawley-had passed away just two years ago.

I was eleven, now, and was waiting for my Hogwarts letter to arrive. I needed it to get out of here. To get out of the misery these walls bore-and away from the meaningless care of my godparents. My father had put them in charge mainly because they were his only friends that weren't tied to any of the Ministry's work.

My mother had been a successful potioneer who had a shop in Diagon Alley called 'Fawley Potions and Ingredients'. I wanted to be like my mother-I'd try my best at potions.

I was eating breakfast when the letter came: Louis had been the one to pick up the mail and come back into the dining room, handing me the Hogwarts letter.

I stroked my beautiful black cat, Thane, while opening the parchment with one hand. The purple wax seal had the large letter 'H' on it, and I was ecstatic as I read Professor McGonagall's words in her neat and flowing script.

When I read the list of things I had to get, I was imagining where the Sorting Hat would put me in. I was thinking Ravenclaw because I was easily immersed by books and literature-but some part of me was secretly hoping for Gryffindor. My father was a Gryffindor in his time at Hogwarts.

But my mother was Slytherin-and so was a majority of the Black family. And besides-pure-bloods usually ended up in Slytherin. And to contribute to that argumentative, I was cunning.

I liked to trick the wizard neighbors-and I usually ended up with not many friends. But when I did hang out with my small group-it was as if we would die for each other when caught doing even the silliest things.

They were brilliant.

And I hoped they were also getting their Hogwarts letters.

We could be friends through all those seven years-and then some.

Dear Ms. L. J. Black,

We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at the 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

Louis wrote the reply letter saying that I'd go to Hogwarts.

"You want to go?" he asked me, unlocking our brown owl's cage.

I grinned widely and nodded. "Absolutely. It's bloody brilliant-I get to see where everyone learned it all. And be a part of the student body."

Louis smiled and gave the owl the parchment he had previously wrote on. He pulled open the window and let the owl soar through the clouds-and out of sight. Towards Hogwarts.

"Lyra?" Jean called from somewhere in the house.

"Yes?" I called back.

"Would you like to go to Diagon Alley as your birthday?"

Right. How could I have forgotten? It was the twenty-seventh of July. I was really eleven now.

"We could get you your first wand . . ."

I smiled-even though Jean couldn't have possibly seen the smile. "Alright, then. Diagon Alley it is."

"We'll go later at . . . How's noon?"

"It's perfect."

"Good, then!"

"Is it alright if I went out to play with the neighbors?" I asked.

Louis nodded. "Of course, Lyra darling."

I finished my scrambled eggs and drank a mouthful of water-before heading to the door adjacent to the kitchen counter. I pulled it open, and summer air blasted me in the face. There was the nearly-empty street in front of me, the asphalt still sleek black from lack of cars passing by. Everyone either owned brooms or bikes here.

Across the street was a green park with wooden benches fashioned with wrought-iron handles. The underbrush was starting to grow wildflowers-it was time the gardener came out to tend to the plants.

I enjoyed the outside. The humans in this area-which were scarce-were confunded, so it was alright if the wizards and witches such as myself accidentally spoke of the magical world.

Puddlemere, this place was called.

I walked to the house on the right and hopped onto the patio. The floorboards were made of finely-polished oak-and the chairs were made of woven bamboo. The circular table by the side had a glass top and carried a vase of flowers.

I tucked behind my ear a loose strand of blond hair while passing the chairs to the door.

The door before me was like a chocolate bar. I knocked, and not a second later, a girl my age opened the door.

She had the brightest green eyes and hair like ebony. They were tied into two, long plaits, brushed over each shoulder.

"Hello," she said to me.

"Hi," I said back. "I got my Hogwarts letter. Did you?"

She nodded fiercely. "I was watching the telly when my mum came to me with the parchment."

"I'm so excited, Tina," I said.

Tina smiled widely. "Me, too! I wonder what House I'll be in. My mum was Ravenclaw-my dad Gryffindor. I wish I'm Gryffindor. I can't imagine what it'll be like anywhere else. Besides-I like red." Tina touched her braids. "What about you? Where do you think you'll be?"

I was secretly hoping for Slytherin, but I dared not say it to Tina. Her wishes laid in Gryffindor; mine in Slytherin-if we were to get what we wanted . . .

A Slytherin and a Gryffindor-friends. I barely thought it possible.

So as an asnwer, I gave a shrug.

Tina smiled and pointed behind me. "Shall we take a walk?"

I obliged her.

"Mum, I'm going out with Lyra!" Tina called into the house.

"Alright!" called back another woman.

I considered our friendship as the kind that existed purely because it did. There were no elements to the connection-no love. Yet I wasn't entirely sure that she knew I didn't like her as much.

Hogwarts. Hogwarts would sort out all the discomfort to something tolerable. I'd be in a rivaling House from Tina; and I'd only have to see Louis and Jean once a year. Or twice if I didn't stay for Christmas.

The thing about Louis and Jean was that . . . I knew my true parents, and ever since I fell into their care, they've tried to imitate my parents ways. I knew they meant well to make me feel like I didn't have to break myself in again with the new family-but it was hard to even feel happy.

Harry Potter thought he was all grieve and sorrow-but he was savored the pain of knowing who Lily and James were.

Harry Potter-had long beseeched his own losses.

My father was coming back home-I knew that. He was coming back from the malefic Azkaban, however possible. He and I would be a happy family . . .

But if my father came home and was proven innocent . . . Harry would need to stay with us. He was, after all, my father's godson.

I was hoping that Harry would be a nice person if this did happen. If not . . . I was still a Slytherin at heart anyway . . . Though as of now, to Hell with him.

"Are you going to Diagon Alley soon?" Tina asked.

I nodded. "Later at noon, really."

"That's brilliant," Tina said. "Could I come with you?"

I almost stumbled through a bush. "S-sure," I stuttered out. "But wouldn't you rather go with your parents for your first experience?"

Tina lit up. "We could all go together!" She twirled on the spot, and her light blue dress fanning out as she did so.

"That sounds brilliant," I said, growing more unsure by the second.

Whatever-September the first. September the first and all my problems would be-solved. Hopefully.

Tina and I sat on the grass, facing our two houses which had fine architecture-just like modern Victorian houses.

"Perfect!" Tina squealed.

Oh yes-she definitely didn't know that I loathed her.

"I'm looking forward most to the wand."

Tina lay on her back, staring at the tree above her. "I wish I get a good one."

"What's your definition of 'good'?"

"I don't know . . . Not something people would laugh at . . . Something ridiculous . . ."

"I don't think ridiculous wands exist," I commented. "And I don't think people would care about what your wand would be as long as you have a wand and can do magic. It wouldn't be funny if you were a squib."

"True," Tina said. "I'm also looking forward to Herbology. You?"

"Quidditch," I said. "But that's for our second year. So I guess Potions and Transfiguration."

Tina scrunched her nose. "How could you be looking forward to Potions? Especially with that Snape teaching us. I heard he's monotonic."

"Where did you learn that?"

"Olivia."

Olivia was Tina's older sister, who was on her third year at Hogwarts. Olivia was a prefect-in Ravenclaw, too. Tina had always been boasting about how Olivia was the smartest in her year. And when I had met Olivia, her indirect boasting was even worse.

"Quidditch . . ." Tina said. "What position do you think you'd do well in?"

"I don't know . . . I could be a Chaser." I considered it. Rookie Quidditch games with the other wizard neighbors had proven me to be quite excellent with the Quaffle and scoring. "But I might try Seeker as well . . . I like just sitting there with literally one task ahead of me . . ."

"That's true . . . I think the Seekers have the most leisurely job, but the most important one."

"Definitely."

"Happy birthday, by the way," Tina said suddenly.

"Thanks."

"I think I'll get you a present later in Diagon Alley."

"You don't have to . . ."

"But I insist," Tina said. "I'll get you a . . . a . . . something useful for your time in Hogwarts."

Alright, then . . .

A few boys were running aimlessly past us, fists raised in the air-clutching to a piece of paper.

"I'm going to Hogwarts!" one boy screamed.

They cheered and was out of sight when they turned the bend.

"I just hope there aren't too many people joining Hogwarts all of the same time," Tina said. That was surprising, coming from her. She loved to socialize. She was like a colorful person-while I stayed gray and refused to be colored.

By the center of the park, there were the boys running towards the fountain to sit by the ceramic. They were clutching to their stitches-but they seemed ecstatic.

"I guess now that we would be going to Hogwarts, we'd have to follow their program-no using magic out of school grounds," Tina said.

"That is unless our parents are there to look after us while we do so."

"I know . . . But it seems less fun now that you can't have the excuse of 'I can't control it'."

I smiled half-heartedly and agreed.

"I guess so."

Second year. Second year was when I get to try out in Try Outs.

But as of now, my mind was all in Diagon Alley and what I'd get there.

That was a short chapter. I mean . . . for me. I don't know about all of you. Is it the perfect length? No? Maybe? First fanfic?

It's my first fanfic . . .

Hope you guys like it-

And don't mind my unprofessional-ness on fanfiction. I can never pull off a fanfic. This is like, a new experience for me.

Hope you guys like it, and do take note that I am writing about a doubtful character that is trying to come off the surface of a friendless life.

And this is about falling in love with Draco Malfoy, as well. So . . .

Tee-hee.

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

WHO KNOWS?

I do not know why I just did that.

ANYWAYS. I'll be trying my best to post every single day (24 hours-I know I'm INSANE).

Thank you, and enjoy!