AN: Everyone, I've decided to do this chapter over again. I'm not going to write this story in first person. Also I want to dedicate this chapter to my friend, Kamakaze Kheri because today is her birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KHERI!!

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A boy with walnut brown eyes and unruly dark hair stared out of the window of Number Nine Filbert Street.A faint glow illuminated from the boy's right shoulder. A very diminutive moth quietly slumbered harmlessly as her young master thought deeply about the situation in Bloors Academy.

"Charlie," a voice called out gently from behind him. Charlie turned around calmly to see his grandmother Maisie strolling towards him.

Maisie was a kind and cheerful person. She cared a lot about her twelve year old grandson, unlike someone who happened to live in the same house. Charlie has been in many scary situations that had scared the lights out of the poor grandmother.

Maisie put her arm around Charlie and tugged him over to give him one of her breath crushing embraces.

"Charlie?" Maisie asked. Her eyes were full of warmth and joy as she looked down at her grandson. "I've just made some tea and cookies. Would you care to join me eat? It's been an awfully long time since we got the chance to just relax a little." Maisie cast a weary glance up the stairs at where Grandma Bone's room was.

Charlie followed where Maisie was looking and sighed. Grandma Bone was Charlie's other grandmother. Unlike Maisie, she never smiled and nothing made her laugh. She didn't love or care about Charlie in any way.

"Sure Maisie," Charlie replied, trying to wriggle out of Maisie's arms. Maisie planted a big wet kiss on his cheek and began to sail back into the kitchen. Charlie leapt off of the couch and followed Maisie. As he entered the kitchen, an aroma of home baked chocolate chip cookies danced around his nose, making his stomach start to growl hungrily. Maisie put a few cookies on his plate and poured him some tea as Charlie climbed into a chair.

"Thanks Maisie," Charlie said briefly before taking an enormous bite out of his chocolate cookie. Before Charlie could take another bite however, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Maisie looked puzzled. "Now who could that be?" A boisterous bang came from up the stairs and Grandma Bone stomped down the stairs. A mysterious smile played across her thin lips. "It seems that our visitors are here," Grandma Bone said mischievously.

"What visitors?" Maisie demanded. "You've never told us that we were having visitors today." Maisie glared as Grandma Bone merely chuckled.

"Well," she said sinisterly. "You'll find out now." Grandma Bone crept up to the door and turned the knob. Three figures swept into the room. As Charlie began to recognize the figures, he began to pale. They were non other than Charlie's three great aunts Lucretia, Eustacia, and Venetia. They were all wicked and cruel just like their sister, Grandma Bone.

"Hello Yewbeams," Grandma Bone said, waving a bony hand. The Yewbeam aunts all nodded at her and proceeded to take off their coats. For once, they didn't command Charlie to take their coats like they usually did.

Instead Charlie's great aunt Venetia called out, "Eric!" A small, six year old boy stepped into the room. He had dull brown hair that straggled to his shoulders in untidy wisps. He looked sickly and too thin. He walked over to Aunt Venetia, straightening his brown trousers and blue jacket.

"Eric?" Aunt Venetia asked, smiling down sweetly at him. "Would you please put our coats on the coat stand?"

"Yes step-mother," Eric replied as the three great aunts dumped their coats on him.

He obediently hung them up while Aunt Venetia started to speak. "Everyone. We would like you all to meet our long lost relatives from America."

"America?" Charlie called out in bewilderment. He had heard about America but he didn't however live in America. He lived in England. Why would his relatives come from America all the way here to England? Why were the aunts interested in them?

Aunt Venetia's black beady eyes glared at Charlie. "Yes you insolent boy," she snapped. "America. Are you smart enough to know what that is?"

"Yes," Charlie grumbled. "I know what it is."

"Well then," Aunt Venetia continued. "Without further interruption, here are our relatives."

As if on cue, two children stepped into the room. One of them looked as though she were eight years old. She had light brown hair and bright brown eyes. She looked like a cheerful person who liked to smile a lot. She wore a pink coat that fit her exactly and blue faded jeans. She wore sketchers shoes and long dazzling earrings that glittered in the light. Her companion however looked very different from the eight year old girl. The other girl looked about twelve. She wore dark blue sweatpants that had a lighter shade of blue stripes running along the sides and she had a NY Yankees Derek Jeter shirt on. Her hair was black and tied into a ponytail. The girl had very dark brown eyes that looked cold and angry. Her eyes roamed the room until they rested on Charlie. Charlie turned away, shivering at her icy stare.

"This," Aunt Venetia said, taking the eight year old by her arm. "This is Ysabelle." Ysabelle stared at everyone, then gave a sly smile. Great aunt Venetia pushed Ysabelle aside gently. She smiled at Ysabelle and went to face her sister. "And this," Aunt Venetia continued. "This is Stephanie." Venetia lunged at the twelve year old. Stephanie put her arm behind her back and backed away from her aunt. Stephanie would have gotten away if her Aunt Eustacia had not been behind her.

"Oh now, don't be shy," Aunt Eustacia teased, giving Stephanie a little push towards Aunt Venetia. Venetia grabbed Stephanie and pulled her forward.

"Stephanie," Aunt Venetia said, indicating the older girl. Stephanie's expression remained as hard as stone. "Now, why don't you two talk to Eric while we decide what we are going to do," Venetia said as she and her sisters stepped out into the hallway.

Eric plopped down on the nearest couch and invited the two children to sit with him. Ysabelle shuffled forward and sat next to Eric while Stephanie sat on the far end of the couch, away from the two. Eric frowned. "Why don't you sit over with us?" He asked, indicating a spot next to Ysabelle.

Stephanie looked at him. "I prefer being here," she said simply. Eric seemed confused.

He said, "Then we'll just move over-," but Stephanie cut him off.

"Alone," she said. She turned her back on him and Eric shrugged angrily. Joshua Tilpin will get to her anyway, Eric thought to himself.

"So," Eric said, looking at Ysabelle. "You'll have a great time with step-mother Venetia. She is very kind."

Charlie almost burst out in laughter as he heard Eric say this. How could anyone possibly think that Aunt Venetia is nice? Charlie looked at Stephanie. There was something about her and her sister that the Yewbeams were interested in. If they're endowed, then it would be bad to let the great aunts influence them, Charlie thought. The balance would shift immensely and then… Charlie trailed off as he watched Stephanie look out the window. He figured that he should at least try and become friends with his relatives. Charlie stood up from the table and walked over to Stephanie.

Stephanie turned towards him slowly. "Yes?" she asked. Charlie sat down next to her and noticed that her expression wasn't as angry as earlier.

"Um, I'm your cousin Charlie Bone," Charlie said offering his hand out to Stephanie. She was hesitant at first but eventually shook it. "So, why did you come here from America?" Charlie asked curiously.

Stephanie looked out the window once more before replying, "I came because I got a full scholarship to a school called Bloors Academy. Aunt Venetia says that it's a very nice school." Charlie had had a feeling that she would be attending Bloors. So she is endowed, Charlie concluded mentally.

"I go to Bloors," Charlie said to her. "It's a good school…if you make the right friends." Stephanie stared at him quizzically. Stephanie didn't know what Charlie was talking about, but she would soon find out. "Do you know what department you're going to be in?"

"I don't know the other departments," Stephanie said. "But I'm going to be in music. I play the drums." Stephanie played some beats on her lap to demonstrate.

"Oh," Charlie mumbled. His thoughts shifted to Dagbert Endless. It turned out that Dagbert played the drums too.

Eric stared at Stephanie and Charlie. He knew that it was a bad sign that Charlie was becoming friends with Stephanie. Eric knew he had to get them apart. Eric scanned the room when suddenly, he found what he was looking for; a stone elephant on the side table next to Charlie. Eric smiled.

"Hey Ysabelle," Eric said. "Look what I could do." Eric stared at the elephant with fierce concentration. He hummed a chant and the elephant started to move.

"Woah," Ysabelle said under her breath. "How did you do that?" Eric hissed and the elephant flung itself straight at Charlie.

Charlie shrieked and dove out of the way as the elephant slammed into the back of the couch above him and bounced off. Charlie knew who was responsible. He glared at Eric angrily. Eric's thin mouth twisted into an unpleasant smirk.

"Sorry Charlie Bone!" Eric said smiling. Stephanie stared at the boy in disbelief.

"You did that?" Stephanie asked amazed. "But… that's not even possible."

Charlie turned to Stephanie. "It is possible," Charlie said. "And he isn't the only one who has a special talent." The elephant lunged at Charlie again without warning. Charlie ducked and the elephant barely missed as it touched part of Charlie's hair and flew into the wall. It fell onto the floor and it's body cracked in half. Rage exploded inside Charlie.

"Look what you did!" Charlie yelled, bending down to pick up the broken pieces. "This was my mom's." Charlie figured out that Eric wanted to keep him and Stephanie away from each other. He knew if that was the case, then Stephanie must really be a powerful person.

Just then, the three great aunts stepped into the room. Venetia walked up towards them smiling. "We've decided that we are going to introduce you to some of our friends," Venetia said sweetly. Venetia glanced at the ruined elephant and instantly understood what had happened. "Eric?" Aunt Venetia asked. "Did you use your endowment?"

Eric stared at his mother. "Yes step-mother," Eric replied. He shuffled his feet nervously under his step-mother's gaze.

"You'll have to explain what you did with your endowment later," Aunt Venetia said sternly. The other aunts stared at the young boy. He was a very powerful kid but they wanted him under their control. They must know what he did with his endowment.

"Come on," said Aunt Venetia. She took Ysabelle by her arm and waved Stephanie over. "We've got many things to do."

"Good bye Charlie," Stephanie muttered. "I'll see you in Bloors." Stephanie followed her aunts as they marched out of Number Nine Filbert Street and into a black car. Charlie watched as they drove away thinking, I wonder what they're going to do?

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AN: I apologize for making this shorter than usual. I know this chapter was a little boring and too descriptive but bear with me. I promise this story will get better later on. Again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY KHERI!!!