Chapter One: Hope

Hope lived far out on the countryside with only her mother for company. Her mother went into town only when she needed to. Hope never left the house, as she was homeschooled and never was allowed to go to town.

One day, when Hope was seven, she was playing outside in the giant yard. A green garden snake slithered up over Hope's ankle. Instead of screaming like most children would Hope smiled and petted it.

"Hello Mr. Snake. What are you doing here today?" she asked him.

"Looking for a nice meal. Do you have any crickets?" he replied. Hope shook her head sadly.

"No, I don't. Maybe my Mother has some!" Hope exclaimed. Then she picked up the snake and ran home. "Mother! Mother!"

"Hope!" her mother shouted, running out in a frenzy. "Hope, what's wrong?" She grasped her shoulders, eyes terrified.

"Nothing. But look, Mr. Snake can talk! Do you have any crickets? He's hungry," Hope exclaimed, holding up the green snake. He stuck his tongue out at her mother. She screamed bloody murder and grabbed the snake.

"Hope," she said shakily. "Go inside. I'll…I'll feed Mr. Snake."

"Are you okay, Mother?"

"Yes. Now do what I say." Hope bounded inside. When her mother came back in the snake was no longer with her.

"Where's Mr. Snake?" she asked her mother.

"He had to go home, dear."

"Oh." Mr. Snake never came back. And Hope never found his dead body buried under the willow tree.

One day, three months after Hope had turned eleven, in the middle of July, a letter was delivered by a majestic tawny owl. It was Hope's letter from Hogwarts. She clutched it in her hand and ran to her mother who was weeding her vegetable garden.

"Mother! Mother, look! I got my letter!" Hope cried gleefully, dancing around happily. Her mother looked up.

"Hope, you're homeschooled," she sighed.

"But you said I could go to Hogwarts when I turned eleven! You promised!" Hope protested.

"When did I promise that?"

"When I was eight. I asked you when I could meet other wizards and witches and you said when I went to Hogwarts like you! You promised!" Hope was close to tears. Her mother sighed and looked up from the cabbage.

"Hope, Hogwarts is dangerous. I can teach you everything you would learn there, all in the comfort of your own home. I don't want you going. End of story," Hope's mother declared and walked back to the house. Hope stood there stunned, then opened her letter. As she read a plan began to formulate in her young mind.

Hope's mother took her to Diagon Alley two weeks before September first. It was her first time leaving the house. Ever. They traveled by Floo Powder. When they arrived a blond women in revealing robes welcomed them to the Leaky Cauldron.

"Valentina! Is it time for your yearly trip to my pub already?" she asked, laughter twinkling in her eyes.

"Hello Hannah," Valentina sighed, annoyed. Hannah caught sight of Hope and gasped.

"Can it be? The faceless daughter? Little Valentina?" Hannah asked, overly dramatic. Hope froze as her hand was wrung by Hannah. She laughed. "Are you Valentina's daughter?"

"Yes. I'm Hope," Hope said, a tad fearfully.

"You two really don't look alike," Hannah observed, looking between Hope and Valentina. It was true. Valentina had thin brown hair streaked with gray, a bronze tan acquired with gardening year round, and blue eyes filled with sorrow. Wrinkles of hard work lined her face, making her look older than she was. Hope, on the other hand, had rich black hair that tumbled over her shoulders in lush curls, skin as white as snow, and dark eyes filled with joy.

"We really must be going, Hannah," Valentina said, setting her hand on her daughter's shoulder possessively.

"Of course. Starting Hogwarts are you? My husband is the Herbology professor," Hannah smiled and walked behind the bar.

"I'm homeschooled," Hope mumbled sadly.

"Homeschooled!" Hannah exclaimed. "But everyone goes to Hogwarts. It was the best time of my life!"

"Yes, the battle with the Dark Lord was so much fun," Valentina sighed sarcastically. Hannah's eyes narrowed.

"If that's the reason you're keeping your daughter home then I will personally kidnap her from your house and take her to the train."

"It isn't. Goodbye Hannah." And Valentina led her daughter to a brick wall. Raising her wand she tapped a brick and a door opened. Crooked shops lined the cobblestone street, displaying all they had to offer. Hope spun around, trying to soak it all in. But before she could her mother dragged her to Discount Robes and Cloaks by Ginger Pepperly. They rummaged through all the robes before finally finding ones that Hope liked.

"Darling are you sure? These robes are so dull," Valentina complained.

"I like them," Hope said, "They look like Hogwarts robes." Valentina sighed, but purchased them. And so it went. They bought everything on Hope's Hogwarts list and a bit more for extra learning. Finally they came to the oldest store in the alley. Ollivander's. The store was dusty and filled with long narrow wand boxes. A man popped out from behind the shelves. He had brown fly away hair and pale blue eyes. He looked to be the same age of her mother.

"Ah, I heard a rumor that you had a daughter, Valentina. Although, I don't recall you ever getting married," the man said softly. His voice was like dry reeds rustling in the wind. "Hello, little one. I am Zander Ollivander, an old friend of your mother's and owner of this fine store. You will never get better results with a wand, other than your own. Each wand is unique, blah, blah, blah, etcetera."

"I'm Hope."

"How inspiring," Zander drawled and began searching the shelves. He then handed her a long red wand. "Redwood, twelve and a half inches, Unicorn core." Hope stared at the wand in her hand. "Wave it!" Hope jumped and began to wave the wand about but Zander soon yanked it out of her hand and replaced it with another. "Birch, nine and a quarter, phoenix feather." Nothing happened.

And so it continued. The pile of tried wands was getting higher by the minute. "This next wand is cherry wood with dragon heart string, slightly yielding and eleven inches." Hope grabbed the wand and a tingle went through her fingers. As she waved it a giant green snake shot out the end. Zander and Valentina leaped back in fear. Hope stayed where she was. The snake looked at her, narrowing his dark eyes.

"Well?" he asked. "What do you want?" Hope opened her mouth, about to answer, when her mother lunged.

"No, Hope!" she cried, shoving her daughter out of the way. She waved her own wand and mumbled something. The snake disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Are you okay?" Valentina turned to Hope, hugging her desperately. Hope nodded.

"Well!" Zander exclaimed. "I do think that that is the wand!"

"I certainly think not! What a dangerous thing it is. You should burn it," Valentina declared, wrenching the wand out of Hope's hand.

"Ah, but Miss. Fawley it is the wand that chooses the wizard, or in this case, witch. And that was very powerful magic. I am sure that we can expect amazing things from you, little Hope," Zander explained. Valentina protested, but no other wand could beat the cherry one. Hope gleefully purchased it and skipped all the way back to the Leaky Cauldron.

On the wall of Hope's bedroom hung a calendar, counting down to September first. One day, a week before the Hogwarts train left, Valentina went into town for groceries. While she was gone, Hope dragged a large trunk out of her Mother's closet and filled it with all she had bought in the Diagon Alley. Her cauldron, her robes, her books. Then she hid all she had done.

Finally the night of August 31 arrived. When the grandfather clock chimed midnight Hope silently slipped out of bed. She retrieved her hidden trunk, then she approached the fireplace in the house. She grabbed a handful of Floo powder and tossed it in. And she walked in saying, "King Cross Station." In a whirl of green flames she appeared in the hidden fire place outside of the station. Hope then climbed a tree and fell asleep. He Hh