Updated: June 15th, 2017

Chapter 2: Orphan Life

I groaned and placed my pillow over my head as my alarm went off. When it didn't stop, I slammed my hand on snooze with a hearty slap. Sorry, Michael Jackson. I rolled out of bed and landed on the wooden floor with a thud. Face meet floor. I trudged to the bathroom and turned the shower on, letting the steam lightly kiss my body. When I felt that the water was warm enough, I stepped in. How I loved the feeling of the water on my back. It soothed away all of my problems.

When I finished my shower, I wrapped myself in a fuzzy towel and walked back into my room. Sitting on my bed was my roommate, 12-year-old Ashlyn Teach. She was obsessed with pink; everything she owned seemed to be that color. She was a monster. She was bossy, demanding, and got everything she wanted. 'Ash the Atrocity' is what I called her. I swear she tried to make my life a living hell because I 'took up her space'.

On my bed, Ash was painting her nails, you guessed it, Bubblegum Pink. She looked up, smiling cruelly at me, her bright white teeth perfectly matched her blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. I went to my drawer to pick out some clothes for the day.

"Was there something you wanted?"

"You're going to school in two weeks," it was more of a statement.

I smiled. Of course I already knew that. Jenna Rubin, the lady who ran the orphanage, told me that. Ashlyn grunted as she pulled my school trunk from under my bed. She opened and shuffled through it (thank God none of my school stuff was in there) as I changed into my jeans and a Michael Jackson "Bad" t-shirt. She sighed. I knew she wasn't at all sad that I was leaving for a whole school year. I'd think she would be overjoyed. Ash never knew the real reason why I was going away for school…I was a witch. I attended Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry last year in Massachusetts and I will be doing the same this time. It was a bit of a nasty shock when Miss Rubin found out. She almost didn't let me go.

Sometimes I wished I knew my real family. It was hard to see everyone at school saying goodbye to their moms and dads and such. I was set in an orphanage as soon as I was brought to America. I knew that both my parents were British. Also, I knew that my dad came from a long line of Purebloods. That didn't matter to me; no one really cares about blood status in America. All I have to remind me of my family is an obsidian necklace. It is beautifully crafted in smooth black and silver. I wear it all the time around my neck.

"So have you heard from OCSHA yet," that was the school she thought I went to. The Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana, California. I glanced at my fellow 12-year-old from the mirror.

"Not yet," I told her as I put on some cherry scented lip-gloss.

Ash rolled her blue eyes, "No matter how hard you try to make yourself look pretty, you'll never succeed."

I turned around and tackled her to the floor. We were in a cat fight when Lana Brown, a 6-year-old girl, stood in the doorway. We stopped what we were doing and looked up at the young girl. "What," Ash sneered as she let go of my hair. Lana, being very mature for her age, scoffed at us.

"Come on," she called to us. "You are missing breakfast and Jenna isn't happy about that."

I smiled weakly. As I was getting up, Ash pushed me back down and glared at me. I groaned and got to my knees slowly. When I entered the dining room, Jenna was already there reading the Los Angeles Times as the other girls sat quietly in their places. Ashlyn sat down next to Jenna.

"Nice to see you join us for a meal, Coralynn," Jenna lowered her paper. I carefully walked over to my seat and sat down. Miss Rubin frowned at me and then smiled lovingly at Ashlyn (her favorite). Her father was an ex-Marine and liked order and timing. She was 'raising' us the way she was – with an iron fist. I looked down at my plate as Jenna had Ashlyn start to say grace.

After breakfast, Ashlyn and the older girls started their daily chores while the younger girls were sent off to ballet or music class in the orphanage's bus. Jenna yanked me aside and brought me into her uninviting office. On her desk was my Tasmanian Masked owl, Solo (I was a big Star Wars fan). I ran over to him and stuck my fingers through the cage.

"Hey boy," Solo nibbled on my fingers affectionately. "I'm sorry I can't let you out. She won't let me."

"Yeah, yeah, make me look like the bad guy," she scoffed. "Your freaky bird isn't the reason I brought you here."

A beautiful red and gold bird sat on the back of her chair, staring at me. I recognized it as a phoenix. Jenna said his name was Fawkes. Attached to Fawkes' leg was a letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"This Albus Dumbledore man sent this for you," she told me curtly. "He said it was your parents' school and he'd be delighted if you went."

As I read the letter from Headmaster Albus Dumbledore I began to get excited. Maybe I could find out who my parents are! I made up my mind right there and then that I would attend. I scribbled a quick reply and attached it to the beautiful bird's leg. It rubbed its beak against my shoulder tenderly then flew right out the window.

"I can't believe it! The same school that my parents went to and it's in England!"

"Yes, yes, good for you," she snapped with a fake smile. She wanted me out of the orphanage so bad. Jenna mentioned something about me being a monster…I didn't even care. I smiled slightly to myself as I looked at the letter. Jenna huffed and led me out of the office. I went up to my shared room to send a letter to Ilvermorny telling the Headmistress of my change of schools.

As the week progressed, I was sent numerous letters from Hogwarts. Each entailed a bit of history from the school and magical, as well as No-Maj (or Muggle as they say there) England. I was even sent a letter from the Minister of Magic himself! So a week before the school year started, I found myself unpacking and repacking all of my school supplies. Fawkes had delivered all of my Hogwarts things (even though I already had most from Ilvermorny). In the last letter I received from Dumbledore, he said I was to travel by Floo powder to a place called The Burrow in England. There I would meet the Weasley family who I would be staying with for the duration of the summer. He also told me that Molly Weasley, the mother of the large family, was my godmother. That shocked and excited me.

I stood in front of the fireplace in the office, staring at a note Jenna left for me. She said that she, Ash, and a few of the younger girls went to Disneyland for the day and that I wasn't expected to come back for any holidays. She even asked if I was able to stay at Hogwarts over the summer. I was actually glad she didn't want me back. I took some of the green powder from my Ziploc baggie. I stepped into the fireplace and picked up my extra heavy trunk and Solo in his cage.

"The Burrow, England," I said clearly, throwing the powder into the fireplace. The last thing I felt was the horrid squeezing sensation in my stomach.