Hey everybody! This is a story I've really wanted to do, and I've spent a lot of time developing this story, so I hope this turns out well. This chapter is a little prologue, so here we go!
Disclaimer for the entire story: I don't own anything you recognize in the story, J.K. Rowling and her marvelous creative mind that created Harry Potter owns everything you recognize. I only own Susanna, and other OCs that are in the story. So enjoy the first chapter of Constant As the Stars Above!
Prologue: Do Just Fine
The cold, large raindrops filled the sky and covered the black, paved road as the figure in a black, dull cloak moved stealthily down the empty street. The person looked at the bundle in their arms and continued moving down the street. Very few lights were shining through the street lamps or windows of the houses. One light was highlighting a sign with the words 'Angel Care Orphanage' in curly-que letters and the establishment's beginning year underneath it. Sounds and voices came from the houses and living areas on the street as the person moved under the sign. The person began walking closer to the Orphanage's floor when a sudden crash of thunder echoed in the sky, causing a baby's cry to sound.
"Hush, little one, it's going to be alright," the mother told the little baby, gently rocking the baby in her arms. The rain changed to a flowing drizzle, light as a feather. The woman took a deep breath and a sigh before continuing up to the steps. The building showed a small sign of age, but still firm and strong. The woman had received news that children were well taken care under the hands of Mrs. Forrester. The mother looked at her child in her arms, making sure the child was calm and fast asleep. She wiped a crystal tear from her cheek and gently set the child on the doorstep. She drew her wand from her sleeves, whispered a spell, and a sack appeared next to the child. The woman withdrew a small envelope from the sack and placed it on top of the child. She bent down and stroked the child's hair that was just like her father's, a light honey golden blonde. The baby girl slowly opened her eyes, revealing a darker steel blue color, and she lovingly smiled at her mother.
"You'll do just fine, darling," the mother told the child before standing back up and ringing the doorbell. She quickly dashed off the steps, and when she got to the gate she took one look back at the baby she left behind. "Just fine," she whispered as she wiped another tear, and never looked back at her daughter before she continued walking down the street.
"Susanna Gates! Get down here!" a loud raspy voice shouted from the floor below, waking the eleven-year-old girl from her deep sleep. The little girl had been experiencing the same dream for many months, and she had now realized it was truly a memory. Realizing the truth brought a few tears to the girl's eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. Susanna sighed, threw the worn sheets off her body, and walked over to the old dresser. She knew Mrs. Forester would be angry if she walked down in her pajamas, so she grabbed a dark brown t-shirt with a white cardigan, and her favorite pair of faded jeans and old tennis shoes. Susanna threw her hair into a lazy ponytail and quickly walked down the stairs. As she reached the bottom, a foot was suddenly stuck in front of Susanna and sent the eleven-year-old face-first onto the wooden floor. Susanna's hands and knees felt scraped, and she knew the jeans were facing a new hole. Evil laughs surrounded her as the clique group of girls walked past her, pushing her to the floor. Susanna knew exactly who it was, but felt that retaliating would make it worse.
"Susanna Gates, you're as clumsy as you are stupid," Mrs. Forester commented, walking up to her and nastiness covering her voice. The ugly, patterned heels walked up to Susanna's face, and a yank of her shoulder-length hair forced the girl to look at the Angel Care Orphanage's caretaker. Her long, pointed noise was close to Susanna's face, and Susanna couldn't help and stare at the large moles and pimples on the ladies' face. Her beaded, gray eyes could stare a whole through the little girl. "You're doing yourself no good, no wonder your parents left you in my care."
Susanna's anger grew at the comment, but she knew she couldn't voice her opinion since she was low in Mrs. Forester's 'favorite people' list. The old lady pulled Susanna up, let go of her hair, and dragged her outside the sitting room. Mrs. Forester pulled the eleven-year-old in front of her. Susanna could see the evil, torturing girls watching her from behind the nearby wall, hoping to see Susanna get in trouble.
They're only watching to gossip about me later, Susanna thought to herself as Mrs. Forester continued rambling on about how bad she looked and needed to make sure she was on her best behavior for a visitor. The person might be her ticket to sending Susanna from Mrs. Forester's hands, the old lady made sure to mention. She roughly pushed Susanna into the sitting room that consisted of a sofa, two loveseats, and a large coffee table inside. She was pushed down into the old loveseat, the other loveseat occupied with an unfamiliar person.
The person was an older lady with some wrinkles appearing across her face. Her face was long, aged, stern, but it showed experience and kindness underneath. Her hair was put up in a very tight bun holding her black and gray striped hair. Susanna noticed the emerald green robes that went from shoulder to floor with green shaded clothes underneath, something Susanna knew everyday people didn't wear. Susanna saw her forest green eyes watch her with concern and care for her. The eleven-year-old felt a certain feeling in the air that arrived when she entered the room with the older lady. It was becoming increasing quiet, where Susanna could hear the other orphans walking around the building.
"Hello Ms. Gates," the lady greeted, her voice betraying her Scottish accent. Susanna's steel blue eyes expanded, surprised the lady knew her name. "Yes, I know you're name. And I know that you've been here since you were a baby." Susanna was becoming more and more amazed at the lady. "You've also been experiencing weird occurrences this past year." The girl was becoming more suspicious of the lady, wondering how she knew about the incidents.
The past year, ever since she turned ten, weird things had been happening to Susanna. Objects would be floating across rooms, kids would start doing things Susanna was thinking, and other weird things like that. Susanna thought she had dreamed it, until it started recurring more than it should. Almost as if it was magic.
"You can trust me, darling," the lady replied to Susanna's silence. "You are not just a normal human, you are a witch, capable of extraordinary magic. My name is Minerva McGonagall, and I teach at the school where you will be learning to control your magic." It seemed like a dream to Susanna, unreal. The news seemed to be a lie, but Susanna realized it was the perfect explanation for everything that had happened.
"I'm a witch?" Susanna asked, wanting to get conformation. The McGonagall lady sweetly smiled at her and nodded her head. "And I can do magic?" Ms. McGonagall nodded her head again. Susanna placed her head in her hand, wondering what all of it meant. "Where will I be going to school?"
"At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a wonderful school where witches and wizards your age come to control and expand their magic," Ms. McGonagall explained. "There you will be sorted into one of four houses, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw. You will learn subjects from all aspects of magic." The lady reached into her robes, pulled out a small envelope, and handed it to Susanna. The letter was addressed to her, complete with her address and everything. Susanna began reading the letter, wondering what it would mean. A crest with four pictures of a badger, lion, serpent, and raven was located at the top.
Hogwarts School
Of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,
Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Ms. Gates,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find an enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
Another piece of paper fell to the table underneath, filled with books, equipment, dress codes, and other things Susanna had never heard of. A sudden thought came to her mind. "Wait, it's August 25th, but I was supposed to have an entrance note by July 31st." Susanna was really hoping she would still be allowed to go, since she wanted to get away from the orphanage.
"No worry darling, you will be able to go," Ms. McGonagall reassured her. "I will personally take you to Diagon Alley, the wizarding marketplace where you will find all of your needed supplies." Susanna immediately felt she could trust her, almost like a grandmother. "I will be here tomorrow at the same time to take you. I will look forward to helping you, Susanna Gates, start your journey to becoming a powerful witch." Ms. McGonagall stood out from her chair and began walking to the front door, gently patting Susanna on the shoulder.
Susanna stayed there sitting on the chair, pondering of what had been revealed. She knew she was awake, so it couldn't have been a dream. Susanna's excitement grew, but was quickly smashed as Mrs. Forester sent her to her usually chores of slaving around the house. The other girls bothered Susanna, but nothing could damage her high spirits for the next day.
Glad you made it down here! Hopefully it was okay! The first few chapters will be a quick run through of her first three years at Hogwarts, since the real story starts the summer of her fourth year. Oh yeah, Susanna's the same age as Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Well, that's all I can think of, so see you next time! Hopefully the next thing uploaded by me will be the next chapter of The Disney Dream, since I'm getting closer to the end!