Hi all, it's been a while. Thank you all for the follows and favourites, I hope you enjoy the next.

Disclaimer: I don't do this for profit, and I certainly don't own the rights to it. Rights to their proper owners.

It was a short trek to my room, a few seconds, as even burdened with my weight my mother's longer stride easily overcame the staircase and forwarded into the bedroom. She sat me down on my bed, and began pulling out clothes from my wardrobe. I noticed, that she only pulled out dresses – Dreaded things, I cannot run in them and so I dislike them very much, did she want me to wear one?

"Jen, please put this on, I'd like to be back before lunch time." She said, as she handed me the hamper of a cream coloured sundress, the only one that I didn't mind wearing as it was loose enough on my legs to run if I wanted to. I quickly stripped down as she pulled out whatever else she would want me to wear, and slipped on the dress just as she came back, smoothed it down and handed me the hairbrush, her implication clear. She rose my foot, and strapped on my beige sandals as I brushed my hair to tidiness proper of a young girl, and soon enough we were off.

She took my hand, and as we walked down the stairs she sharply turned towards the back yard instead of the pavement outside, were we not going out yet? She looked back, and gently pulled me indicating that I should follow, and thus I did. Soon enough, we were in our backyard, the green grass slightly tickling my sandaled feet, the high bushes and the high wall that separated us from other houses giving us plenty of privacy. Mum looked around, at the windows, perhaps she didn't want neighbours to see what she wanted to do?

After enough glances, she once more took my hand and told me to hold my breath and close my eyes, of course, I followed her instructions, she had always told me that I had to do what she told me to because I was a good girl, then suddenly there was a yank in my stomach – navel, mum called that part? – And I felt like screaming, as if I was squeezed through a tiny hole, then came sudden onslaught of whatever I always felt in the yard, but larger, and it didn't seem that welcoming as the one back home was. When I opened my eyes again, we weren't on the yard anymore, instead we were on a side alley of what looked like a larger alley in of itself, but what I could see wasn't what surprised me, no, the surprising part was what I could feel, this whole place felt completely different to any street I had been to before.

This wasn't normal of course, because outside I couldn't feel the walls without seeing them, back in London, but here I knew exactly where they were, why was this? It was confusing, as I could tell this place was… magical? – Before my musings could take off any longer, the feeling wasn't there anymore, like everything I deemed unimportant I simply didn't notice it anymore. I tried to feel it back, and to my surprise I could sense the wall next to me again when I focused on it.

Then came the sudden sense of dizziness, and I felt like I was going to be sick, as I lost my balance for a second or two.

Her voice broke me out of my musings, "Jen?" I heard, "Let's go, if you're ready, dear."

"Yes, mum." And I took her hand again, the dizziness wearing off quickly, as she had told me to always hold her hand in crowds, and off we were.

Everything in this alley was different, strange, as it really wasn't anything like London. The shops were very different, and the names, while similar to things I had seen before, were still nothing like the normal shops back home, "Mum, where are we?" I asked, the itch to know having grown too strong.

"In Diagon Alley, Jen, this is where most wizards and witches come to get their needs," was her reply, "There's a little bit of everything here, and this is where we're going to buy the things on your list."

With that, we walked along until she stopped in front of a large building that had marble pillars along its façade, there was a huge door that was wide open, and people milling in and out every so often, we climbed the stairs to it and I saw the most strange of creatures, they looked like midgets, but their ears were like those of the elves in stories I had read, and they carried strange sticks with something sharp and scary looking on its end, it seemed to be made of metal and they were also covered in bulky armour, it looked quite uncomfortable and I wouldn't want to wear one, but who was I to judge the likes of others?

"Mum, what are those?"

She replied without looking, as if she had expected the question, "They are goblins, dear, they run the bank we are about to visit."

"Goblins are real?"

I only received a nod and a smile as response, but it was enough to satisfy me. Mum would never lie.

As I passed through the door, I could feel another field washing over me, but I could also feel, like I had felt that owl, the presence of something, in the direction where I had seen the goblin before. I looked back, and sure enough, the goblin was there, was him what I had been feeling?

This was strange, why could I feel where it was? Should I ask mum about this? No, it could be just a one-time thing, or it could be normal, I was new to this witch business after all.

A short time later, Mum and I were herded towards a teller, very similar to other banks I had been to over the course of my life, the only difference being the workers, as another goblin was acting as the teller in the booth. My mother let go of my hand, and as I looked she raised her hand and a ring suddenly came into her finger, one I had never seen before, and I was sure this wasn't her marriage ring as I could see it still on her other hand, and had been seeing it for all of my life, then she spoke, "I would visit the Potter vault, please," she grabbed my hand again, and the goblin grunted and nodded its – His, her? – head, and then walked out of the booth indicating we should follow. Mum walked behind, and I behind her, towards another set of doors.

As we crossed, we were led towards something similar to a mine cart, and there were tracks similar to those of a train, were we going to ride this thing? Why? Couldn't we walk? My questions had no time to be voiced as the goblin indicated towards two other goblins, my curiosity over why we would need more goblins overriding the other questions, "Mum, why are they coming? Isn't one enough to guide us?"

"You'll see," she smiled and squeezed my hand, and we all climbed into the cart.

The ride was, in short words, terrifying, but it was so much fun!

Mum looked very uncomfortable, but I was pretty happy to be going through it as we flew through the tracks, until I saw a waterfall in front of us.

"Hey! Hey, stop! We're going to crash!"

But they didn't stop, the cart kept going, inching faster and faster towards it, and I closed my eyes fearing the worst, but there was no impact, no crash, what had happened?

When I opened my eyes, there was no waterfall in front of me, I looked back and there it was, like we hadn't even gone through it, undisturbed.

"D-did we not just hit that waterfall over there?"

"Foolish child, it's just an enchantment to reveal if disguised people want to steal from us. No one steals from Gringotts."

Shortly after that, the ride was done and over with. My mother seemed thankful for this, but my adrenaline rush had yet to fade, it was so much fun that I wanted to do it again right now!

We were then led through a corridor, it was a bit dark but not scarily so, and then I felt something massive was beyond the corridor, now THAT scared me, and I clung to mum as if she was my only chance of living at sea, which in a way she was, and we went across the arch that marked the end of the corridor. Outside, there was only one thing to call my eyesight, and I could only think one thing – big. And I meant BIG.

A little shriek escaped my throat, involuntarily released as my eyes met the head of the creature in front of me, "D-D-DRAGON!"

Mum hugged me, and let me hide my face in her clothes as the goblins chuckled, the sound cruel and similar to grinding rocks, and began jingling the strange things they carried with them. I could hear and feel how the dragon moved aside, as if scared, and mum carried me along in her arms after lifting me, and followed the goblins, as if she had done this thousands of times before. The walk was short, and soon enough I was put down, we were in another corridor, this one shorter than the last, which led to a gate with a P on its front, it had the shape of a cog, and the goblin inserted a key it seemed into it, then it moved aside.

The first sight was yellow, so much yellow, mum walked along and inside pulling me with her as I gaped at what seemed like mountains of yellow, no, golden coins.

"Jen, grab as many as you want and have a little walk around, go on!" She encouraged me with a smile, and I immediately dashed into the pile nearest to me, I examined the coins, they had a dragon design in them, and the words 'Unum Galleon' were inscribed into them, the number 1 on the bottom side of it marking it as a unit. Mum threw me a little bag, which fell onto the pile, and I began filling it. I noticed something, though, when I had piled over 60 coins into the bag, yet it didn't seem full yet. In fact, it didn't seem as if it had one coin in it at all!

"Mum, why isn't this full yet? I've put at least 60 coins into it!"

"I've charmed it bottomless, Jen; it will take much more than 60 coins to fill it. Put in a few more and we should be good to go, I just wanted to show you the vault after all."

Once I was done, she beckoned me to her, and pointed to the wallpaper before us. On it, there were names, and I didn't recognize any of them until I saw my own, Jennifer Eleanor Potter, by the bottom and middle of it, on top, my mother's name, Lily Jennifer Potter, and right next my father's name, James Potter.

"This is our family tree, dear; there are your grandparents on your father's side, Charlus Potter and Dorea Black," She gestured towards the names, "They've been dead for a while, but you'll get to know their portraits someday, I promise you that."

I nodded, not knowing exactly what that meant, and we were on our way.

The shopping, surprisingly, didn't take long, as mum seemed to want to get everything done as fast as possible, we breezed through shop after shop gathering books, potions supplies which the names of every ingredient completely escaped me, a pet shop to, as mother called it, get my familiar, in the end I chose a beautiful snowy owl which I named Hedwig and after that we were on our way to a tailor, to get my uniform – which mum insisted I should call robes – sorted.

Madam Malkins, as she was introduced to me, was a very nice person, and she did her job diligently taking measures while avoiding causing me any discomfort, mum told her to use acromantula silk as the material, which I didn't know what it was, but it sounded quite expensive if it was silk. This confused me, as mum was never one to spend too much money, even if we had never had issues with it

It was not long after this that we continued our trip, having been told to pick up the ordered "robes" as mum called them later on after the measuring was done, and we headed towards our last stop; the wand maker's shop.

"Lily Evans, 10 and a quarter inches; good for charms." Drifted off from the back of the shop, as an old looking gentleman came out, his posture slouched and tired, yet his eyes somehow shined as I looked at him; and stare at me he did, as if he was seeing a treasure no one else had ever laid eyes on. It did not take long to decide I was uncomfortable.

"And you must be Miss Jennifer, I presume? Come along, we shall find you a wand today," he spoke, gesturing me to walk alongside him towards the counter, then slipped back behind it to grab little boxes off the shelves, and opening them. He handed me the first, a dark brown stick with a carved handle and what seemed like horses etched into it. "Go on, give it a wave," he prodded along, and I did, but nothing truly happened, nothing that was pleasant at least, as a wave of fire spit out towards the ceiling as I finished my movement; he rapidly snatched it off me and thus began the marathon of trying countless upon countless of wands, each of different materials, with each reaction more or less violent than the first, including one he said was Holly with a phoenix's feather inside.

Finally, after what seemed like ages, he pulled out a simple wand, with little swirls as patterns for decoration, and a carved handle; "A yew wand, a rare material to use, but very powerful indeed, with a mixed core; Dragon heartstring embossed with unicorn hair, this is the only wand of its kind I've ever made, it would be an honour for it to be yours."

He gestured me ahead, and upon my fingers reaching it, I felt different, I felt… complete, as if a part of my arm I never knew was there, suddenly came into presence and it fit, just like my winter gloves, taut and on point, not hindering me one bit. A twirl and red little sparks flew off the tip, announcing to them that this was the one, after hours of waiting.

I felt pleased.

It didn't take long for us to get back home, mum decided to show me something new which she called Apparition, thus leading me to a space that was, apparently, reserved from that. It was a strange feeling, and extremely dizzying, but I was fine soon after, although I don't think I'd like repeating the experience of being squeezed through a thin tube. Did all magical transportation leave you feeling like this? Mum had called the one from earlier a portkey, and she seemed fine both times, maybe you got used to this with time.

I couldn't keep my hands off my wand, and every time I was about to wave it about mother would speak out and give me a stern look, though this didn't dim my excitement one bit, in the end she had to take it away from me as she said if I casted anything by accident or luck, I'd get in trouble with the magical government whom she explained, were completely separate from our normal one.

"Mum, shouldn't they answer to the Queen, still?" Was my question, as it was always taught we all answered to our sovereign Queen Elizabeth II, it was in our national anthem after all.

"No dear, they have to keep themselves separate or we would break international law, and the muggles wouldn't react nicely to some people having our gift instead of all of them," she looked at me as if was she was going to say next was extremely important, and continued; "You should never reveal this to anyone who doesn't know already, the last time it was common knowledge we were… hunted down, for lack of a better word, you might have covered this in school already, the witch hunts, they were a big tragedy for our people."

"Mum, what's muggles?"

"Muggles are those without the gift of magic, love, those with magic who were born of muggles are called muggleborns, like me, and the ones born from a muggleborns and a magical are called half-bloods," she explained, "to some people in this world, this is a very important thing." She shook her head, and continued, "but for us, it's no big deal; your father was a nobleman between them, and you're going to inherit everything including the title when you turn 17."

"What do you mean noble?" I never knew our family had any royal ties, did this mean I'd get to sleep in Windsor castle?

"Not like the royal family, but different. Older," she carried me once more, striding towards the kitchen as it was supper time already, and as ever since I tried once when I was seven, we did it together as much as we could. "The Potter family is classed by the wizards as a Most Ancient and Noble house, and James once said they could be traced back to the year 997, but I haven't seen the full family tree to confirm this."

"Can I see it next time we go to Gringotts?" I asked while I pulled out the ingredients for what we would make today, vegetables and condiments alongside to be cut and prepared, with the meat mum had already put aside, into Meatballs.

"Yes honey, it shouldn't be long until we do." And as I had no other questions, small talk between us flittered as we cooked, and the rest of the night flowed until it was time to go to sleep.

Soon enough, I was asleep.

Trees, everywhere, I don't remember how I got here, but everything is happening to fast to be real, and I feel lost, even with the little voice in my head telling me where to go, north, go north, it said, and so I kept on, knowing this was most likely a dream and that it couldn't hurt to know where it led. Soon enough, I was in that clearing again, with everything as it was when I got there first, with the empty seat-looking space in the tree, yet the whispers I could hear which I could only assume were the forest speaking to me again, beckoned me forwards deeper into it.

Sit, was the last whisper, and with a shrug I moved ahead towards it, intent of seating myself there and see what would happen afterwards, and thus I sat.

Nothing happened for a few seconds, and I felt slightly silly, but I decided it was comfortable enough to wait until I woke up in, and so I stayed there, but then it was different, I could feel the high speed thoughts I had heard before, but slower, and I could detail more words from them, they sounded strange, and I couldn't understand the words, but I knew what they meant, for the most part anyway. It was then that I noticed, as I felt a brief pain in both of my wrists that this was no ordinary dream, and when I looked to see what was causing it, circles with detailed shapes coming out of it, which looked suspiciously like a stag's horns, were on both of them, one each and in the same place. What was this? I hadn't seen this before, had I? I'm pretty sure I never had any marks let alone tattoos in my arms, and this definitely looks like a tattoo.

Mum is going to kill me if she sees this!

I thought of a way to stop her from seeing it, and the forest answered, although it felt different this time, it felt… amused? Did this mean the forest was alive!?

Excitement coursed through me, oh, how much could I learn from a tree? On second thought, probably not much, since they do sit still for ages and grow… and grow…

Maybe they could teach me how to get taller!

A giggle, and I leant back, thinking again to how I could hide these from mum, and I got a feeling in response, which I tried to imitate, it was somewhat instinctive as I – asked? Coaxed? – I wouldn't know what I did, but I willed my magic to wash over my arms with the thought of hide ringing as a chant, and sure enough the marks became invisible… along with my arms below the elbow.

Of course, I could still feel them, but this did nothing to calm my panic.

A shriek, and I could hear a hare scatter away from the clearing, but this didn't matter, my arms were gone!

I strongly wanted them back, and my magic answered, and back they were. Okay, not trying this again.

Suddenly, I heard a loud sound, and I felt pulled, though I didn't know to where, and my eyes closed by themselves. The next time I opened, I was back in my room staring at the bedroom door, where mum was waiting.

Ah, so there goes the night.

Reviews appreciated, but not mandatory, and thank you once more for reading.

As sidenote, I'm looking for a beta reader, since two heads think better than one.