Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter.
Chapter Three: The Strange letter.
The day of Sage's birthday was almost here. Her dad was gone again. And her grandparents had taken to ignoring her. So she spent her whole time either in her room or down at the park. But little less time at the park as she did before, because Zinnia and her friends had taking to destroying the play park and ganging up on the younger kids, and her sister's friends liked to target her when she was there. So she spent most her time reading the books she had found in her room. She was dying to know how they got here and why. But knew she couldn't ask. Her grandparents didn't like questions. And she didn't like to see them very much anyways.
She flipped through the History Of Magic book. Not for the first time she traced the name Harry Potter that was written on the inside cover under: This book belongs to. She wished she could find out who he is. But hadn't had the chance to ask her dad again before he left. He was in a bad mood ever since he had that fight with her grandpa, and the punch he had gave him broke his nose.
A tapping on her window made her jump. She looked up to see an owl sitting on her window sill. It was looking at her like he wanted something. Sage slowly got up out of bed and raised the window. The little brown owl held out its talon and there in its claw was a parchment envelope. With shaky hands Sage reached out and took it. On the cover was the words.
To: Ms. S. Dursely
Smallest Bedroom
Number four privet Dr.
Little Whinging, Surry
bewildered Sage opened up the envelope and pulled out a letter written in parchment. She read.
Dear Ms. Dursley we are pleased to inform you that you have been excepted to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry . inclosed are a list of things you will need. Reply by return owl no later than August 1.
sincerely yours,
Prof. Neville Longbottom, Deputy Headmaster.
Sage got through reading and looked up at the owl. "They await my owl. What does that mean?"
The owl just hooted at her "Oh I guess I send a note back by you." Sage went over to her desk and pulled out a piece of paper and pencil and wrote a reply.
Dear Mr. Longbottom,
I would love to come to your school, I just have to ask my dad, his away right now, but will be home by my birthday. It's the 24 of July. Coming up real soon.
Sage Dursley.
Sage folded up the note and tied it to the owl's leg, it was the 21 first now, so her dad should come home any day now, he promised he would be here for here birthday. Sage smiled as she watched the little owl fly away.
"Girl," Her grandfather yelled up the stairs making Sage jump. "Get down here and help you grandmother with dinner."
"Yes, grandpa." Sage quickly hid her letter in her desk drew, then turned and ran down to the kitchen.
When it came time to eat Sage was made to eat at the table and her grandparents avoided her eyes. Choosing to pretend she wasn't there. She wondered why they even made her eat at the table if there was going to pretend she wasn't here anyway, sometimes grown ups made no sense.
" Zinny, we got a surprise for you." Petunia suddenly said. "This Saturdays, your grandfather and I have decided to take you and a friend to that new theme park you've been dying to go to. You can ride rides, play games and everything."
"But, Saturday is my birthday." Sage said, a little shocked and hurt.
"And do you think you've done anything to get a party." Vernon demanded.
"Besides, Zinny will need the cheering up." Petunia said. "Since your dad called earlier to say he wasn't going to make it home, because of a booking mistake his match has been post ponied till then."
"Daddy isn't going to be home for my birthday." Sage asked, tears coming to her eyes.
"No, he will not." Petunia said."Now if you're done eating go to your room. I can't stand to see a grown girl cry like a little baby."
Quietly Sage left the room and went up stairs laid down and cried herself to sleep.
When Saturday came around; Sage's birthday went from bad to worse.
"You won't be coming with us." Petunia said. "Mrs. Figg across the street will be keeping an eye on you, while we are gone."
"But, Mis. Figg is like a hundred years old." Sage cried.
"With the attitude you had this week, your grandfather and I have decided that you don't go. If you had been a little more respectful, then maybe you could have went." Petunia said, "You don't have to go to Miss figg's house, you can stay here if you wish, just go to her if you need anything, we'll be back at five." Then she, Vernon, Zinnia, and Zinnia's friend Katrina Polkiss walked out the door. And left Sage by herself.
Sage went back to her room and cried herself to sleep. She woke up later that day and went down stairs to get something to eat.
She was standing by the kitchen table when a loud pop made Sage jump. Then there was a knock on the door. Sage frowned. Should she go see who it is or not. She decided she would, after all it was most likely Mrs..Figg checking on her, but when she answered the door, it was not Mrs. Figg.
"Hello, young lady, is your dad in?" A nice man with brown hair and a chubby face greeted her.
"No, he didn't make it home for my birthday." Sage answered. "Are you a friend of his?"
"No, not really. You see my name is Neville Longbottom. And I'm the Deputy Headmaster at..."
"Hogwarts." Sage interrupted. "I got your letter the other day and I really want to go."
Neville smiled at her. "Good, but you said something, in your letter a few days ago. About having to asked your dad."
"He said I could." Sage lied. "He was home a few days ago and he said I could go."
"Good, I'm here to take you to get your school things." Neville said. "Do you think he would mind, if you went with me. Is anyone here you can ask."
"My grandma is in the kitchen." Sage lied again. "I'll go ask her." She turned and instead of going to the kitchen she went up the stairs. Got her letter and ran back down.
"She said as long as I'm back by four I can go." Sage lied a thrid time.
"Fantastic, just grab hold of my arm." Neville said, holding out his arm. Sage grabbed hold of it and Neville then looked to make sure no one was watching ,then apparated away. Sage suddenly felt like she was being squeezed through a tube.
When she opened her eyes she was standing outside of an old tavern called the Leaky Cauldern.
"Right this way." Neville said, opening the door for Sage. She walked in, and looked around.
"Hey, Nev." A pretty blonde hair women behind the bar greeted Professor Longbottom. She saw Sage and smiled. "Is that the muggle-born?"
"Yep, I'm taking Sage to get her school things." Neville said, laying his hand on her shoulder.
"Hello, Sage." The nice pretty woman said. "Would you like something to eat." Sage looked up at the clock it was already one.
"No, thanks ma'am." Sage said. "My grandma said I had to be home by four."
"Well, tell you what." The woman said. "Go get your school things, and if there is time when you're done, I will fed you. How's that."
"Fine, ma'am." Sage smiled. "You are very nice. Mrs..."
"Longbottom." She said. "I'm Hannah Longbottom, Professor Longbottom's wife."
"Oh," Sage said, a little surprised, that Professor Longbottom would have such a pretty wife. Sage watched as Neville leaned in and gave Hannah a kiss. But then again she thought, a lot of people thought the same thing, when it came to her mom and dad. Jane Dursely had been the prettiest woman Sage knew. With her long wavy burgundy hair, shinning green eyes and kind nature and never got mad and yelled at anyone, and would help anyone who need help,no matter who they were, and always had a smile on her face and never lost it, not even when she had got sick. It wasn't fair that someone as nice and pretty as her mom had to die.
"Come a long, Sage." Neville led Sage out the door and into the back ally, where he pulled out a wand and tapped on the brick wall; to Sage's surprise the opened to revile an ally fool of weird-looking shops.
"Welcome to Diagon Ally." Neville said. "Did you bring your school list?" Sage nodded and handed it to Neville.
"Umm... Professor, sir." Sage said. "I don't have any money to pay for anything."
"Not to worry." Neville said. He then pulled out a little pouch of coins. "Hogwarts has a fund set up for kids who can't afford school things. Being Muggle-bron you qualify for help, since your family wouldn't have wizard money." Sage nodded feeling relieved.
"Come a long." Neville first took Sage to get her schoolbooks, it took about half hour to get them all, then they got her cauldern and potion stuff, along with a wand.(Holly with dragon heartstring) Then Neville took Sage to get her robs. At a place called Madam Malkin's rob's for all occasions.
"Hello , Neville." Madam Malkin greeted him.. "A new muggle-bron I see."
"Yes, it is." Neville said.
"Well come this way, Miss, another little girl about your age is being fitted.
Sage followed the women to the back and climbed on a stool next to a girl about Sage's age, she was a little shorter than her and had shoulder length dark red hair; pulled back in a ponytail, and light brown eyes, hidden behind little black glasses. Standing in front of her was a very pretty women with fiery red hair, and the same brown eyes as the little girl. She was reading some magazine called the Quibbler and looked as if she was trying not to laugh. Standing next to her was a bushy brown hair women holding a shopping bag, and a little boy about Sage's age, with the same bushy brown hair as the women.
"Hello I'm Lily." The little girl said. The mother briefly glanced at Sage.
"Hi," Sage said back. "This is my first time in Diagon Ally."
"Really," Lily asked, as Madam Malkin returned with her rob and slipped it over her head. "I've been loads of times. I have two older brothers and a lot of cousins, who have already been to Hogwarts. My daddy is with them now, getting their school things. Do you not have any brothers." She asked.
"No, but I have an older sister." Sage answered. "She's not coming to Hogwarts."
"Oh, why?" Lily asked. Her eyes glanced to Neville standing waiting for Sage. "Oh, you're muggle-born."
"Yeah, that's what Professor Longbottom's wife called me." Sage frowned. "But I don't really know what that means."
"It means your parents are muggles." Lily said.
"Muggles?" Sage asked.
"It means your parents can't do magic." Lily's mother said. Sage noticed she had a small pregnant belly barely visible under the shirt she was wearing
"Oh," Sage said. "No, they can't, well my mum dead a few mouths ago, and my daddy left me at my grandparents, while he's off boxing."
"Boxing?" Lily asked.
"It's a muggle sport." The bushy haired women explained.
"Oh," Lily said. "Is it fun? How do you play?"
"There is two opponents and they punch each other and the one to knock out the other first wins." Sage explained.
"That's barbaric." Lily cried.
"Lily," Her mother said, but Sage just giggled.
"It's okay ma'am." Sage said. "I agree with her. I never knew how my daddy could stand boxing." Lily's mother gave Sage a kind smile.
"So, what did your mum do when she was alive." Lily asked. "Mine use to be a Quidditch player, but then quite when she had my eldest brother, she writes for a Quidditch Magazine now."
"She was a school teacher." Sage said, wondering what in the world Qudditch could be. "It's so odd, because my mum was real nice and always smiling, she was short and skinny too, and would never hit someone, but my daddy, he is real tall and a little chubby, and makes a living hitting people. They were so different; people always wondered how they could ever get together. People say I looked just like her, but with my dad's eyes."
Lily frowned. "It is odd. My parents are a lot alike. They're both short and skinny, with real bad tempers."
"Lily," Her mother said. She rolled up the weird magazine and softly hit Lily on the leg. Lily giggled.
"What about your Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione." Lily's mom said. As she nodded her head toward the bushy hair women. "Now, they are an odd pair. " Lily's mom looked at Sage. "Hermione is probably the smartest girl I know, but her husband, my brother is the stupidest guy I have ever known."
"I heard that." Someone said. Sage looked behind her to see two guys, with three kids. One wasn't all that tall. He had messy black hair, and bright green eyes and like Lily, he wore a pair of glasses. The two kids with him were boys, they both had messy black hair like him, but the eldest had the same brown eyes as Lily and her mother, and the youngest had his fathers bright green eyes.
The other man had red hair, a long nose and freckles. He was with a girl. The girl had red hair and blue eyes, and looked to be a couple of years older than Sage.
"Well, brother dear, I'm just telling the truth." Lily's mom smiled.
Ha ha, you're so funny, Ginny." The guy said.
The messy black hair guy came over to her. He put his hand on her belly and smiled. Sage noticed a weird scar on his forehead. It looked like a blot of lighting.
"And who do we have here?" He smiled at Sage.
"This is my new best friend, daddy, her name is Sage." Lily told him. "She's muggle-born, like Aunt Hermione."
"Hello, Sage." Lily's dad smiled at her. "I'm Harry." He gave her a little bow and she giggled.
"I had a cat name Harry once." Sage told him. Before she could stop herself.
"Really," Harry said. He found this little girl adorable. "He must have been one cute kitty then." His wife smacked him with her magazine on the arm. He jokingly glared at her. Sage laughed at both of them.
"Lame joke, dad." The eldest black hair boy said. As Lily stepped down and the bushy brown hair boy took her place on the stool. Sage smiled at him and said hi, his face turned red and he looked anywhere but at her. Madam Malkin slipped some robs over his head, then turned to Sage.
"Alright, Sage, dear, you're done." She said, and Sage jumped down off the stool.
"Bye, Sage." Lily told her. "Look for me at King cross and we'll sit together on the train."
"Okay," Sage said. Glad she had made a friend, her sister never let any of the kids at school be her friend. They were all to afraid of Zinnia's gang to try.
After they left the rob shop, Neville took her to a pet store, where he said he would get her pet for her birthday, she told him he didn't have to, but he wanted to anyway. So Sage chose a little blue frog, something she could hide from her grandparents. And named him Jumpy. Then Neville took her back to the Leaky Cauldern; where his wife gave Sage lunch, and some pumpkin juice, she loved it.
When she finally got home and Neville apparated away Sage opened the door to see her father standing there, his arms crossed and glaring at her.
"And just where have you been, young lady?" Dudley demanded.
A.N. I'm going to stop it there, I know this chapter is a little short too, but when Sage goes off the Hogwarts they'll get longer, I just want to get before then done, and I know Harry and Ginny only had three kids, but I wanted to make Ginny pregnant, because I always thought they should have had more than three, it seems like Harry would want a big family, considering he didn't really have one growing up, and Harry won't find out about Sage being Dudley's daughter till the summer after their first year, and his kids won't know the Dursley name, like the Durlsey's never told Dudley's kids about Harry, Harry never told his about the Dursely's, they know he was raised by an Aunt and Uncle that didn't like him, but that's all. I'm working on the next chapter now, but don't know when I'll be done, because I'm also working on two other stories, but I'll try to have it up soon.