A few days passed, and for Cara and Harry, it was the best summer they had ever had. Harry was enjoying being at his friend's house, while Cara was enjoying actually having the chance to make friends. That, and, the Weasley's were wonderful hosts, making sure that at every meal, Cara and Harry ate till they were stuffed. For Cara, it was the first time she felt cared for.

Morning rolled around at the Burrow. Everyone was downstairs around the breakfast table, chatting and eating when there was a heavy thud against the window. Everyone fell silent to see what caused the commotion. Percy got up and opened the window, rolling his eyes.

"It's only Errol." He sighed, taking the letters clasped in the ruffled birds beak. Errol stood then, shook himself out and flew off once more. "He's brought our Hogwarts letters. There is one for Harry as well and…" He flipped through the last two. "Cara's got one too."

Cara's eyes lit up. Harry had been reassuring her all summer that she'd get to go as well, but she hadn't been so sure. She was thrilled to know she had a letter like the others.

Percy passed them all out, taking his seat again. Cara opened her letter and read through it. She would have to ask Harry where he got all of his things.

"This isn't going to be cheap mum." One of the twins said, handing his book list over to his mother.

"We'll manage. We always do." Molly, (as Cara had been instructed to call her) said. "We'll have to go to Diagon alley. Everyone run upstairs and get dressed. Then we'll go."

Everyone left the table. Cara followed Ginny to the room they shared where she dressed in a skirt Ginny had given her and an old shirt that had once been her brothers. Just because Cara was a girl, didn't mean the Dursley's had gone out of their way to get her own clothes. She was given Dudley's hand-me-downs just like Harry. The only thing her aunt had done, was take them in a bit, since Cara was far thinner than her cousin.

"I'm glad you like that skirt. It looks better on you then it did me." Ginny smiled as she changed as well. "Mum could probably hem your shirts up a bit more if you wanted. "

"It's alright." Cara shrugged. "I wont need them much at Hogwarts anyway, right?" Cara didn't mind that her shirts were a bit baggy on her. She'd never paid too much attention to how she looked. She'd had worse things to worry about.

"Anyway. Shall we go downstairs?"

"Yeah." Ginny agreed. "Let's go. Just wait. You're going to love Diagon alley." Ginny told Cara about the shops there as the two joined the others in the living room, by the fireplace.

"How are we going to get there? That old car?" Cara asked, looking around at everyone there. She glanced at Harry who shrugged. It seemed he didn't know how they were getting there either.

"We're going to use the floo dear." Molly smiled. "Here, The boys will show you." She gestured for her sons to all come forward and take a handful of powder from a dish on the mantel. Percy stepped up first, taking a handful before he took his place in the fireplace. Cara's eyes widened as he called out "Diagon alley" Before disappearing in a flash of green flame.

"Simple as that." Molly smiled at Harry and Cara. The twins, and then Ron all went next, each shouting out "Diagon Alley" Before they were swept away by the green fire. Ginny followed, Leaving only Harry, Cara and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"Harry dear, why don't you go first. The boys will be waiting on the other side." Molly smiled. Harry Hesitantly stepped forward and took a handful of the green powder. He stepped into the fireplace and swallowed hard. As he tossed the powder down he called out "Diagonally" And disappeared.

"Oh dear." Molly said. "Cara, when you go through, make sure to enunciate. I'm not sure Harry's gone to the right place, though I can't imagine he's gone too far."

"Will he be okay?" Cara asked.

"Of course. Should be just fine." Molly smiled. "Now, you go on through. Arthur and myself will follow and we'll make sure to find your brother."

Cara nodded and took her own handful of the powder. She stepped into the fireplace and made sure to clearly call out "Diagon alley." She felt herself pulled down, twisting and turning as she quickly moved through what fell like a very strange slide. Before long she slid out onto the floor by the other Weasleys, who were all dusting ash off themselves.

Ginny reached down and helped Cara up. Soon Mr. and Mrs. Weasley followed and each waved their wands to clean up themselves and the children. Arthur Weasley kissed his wife on the cheek, claiming he was off to look for Harry. Molly gave him a nod and began to corral everyone towards the bookshop. "Percy dear. Why don't you take the key and go down to our vault. We'll wait in here."

Percy took the key and walked off. Cara wondered where too, but was soon taken into Flourish and Blotts bookshop. She gasped as she took in the sheer amount of books, towering around her in ways she could only assume were helped my magic.

"Wow…" Cara whispered, trying to take it all in.

Molly smirked. "Go ahead and look around dear. This line isn't going anywhere fast." They were in the back of a large line that wound it's way through the shop, coming to an end in front of a wizard signing books with his face on them. Cara smiled and walked off, finding some stairs that she walked up.

From the second floor she could get a better view of the rest of the shop. She was still amazed by all the books. She opened one that she found on a small table. It was filled with amazing creatures Cara had no idea existed. She smiled and moved onto another book.

"Wow…." She whispered.

"Excuse me?" She heard a boys voice say from behind her. She glanced up, only to come face to face with a taller, quite blonde boy. "Did you say something?" The boy asked her, closing a book he held in one hand.

"Oh. Sorry. I did, but I was talking to myself." Cara felt her cheeks warm. She noticed he couldn't be much older then herself. Maybe he was a student as well.

"Are you going to Hogwarts?" She asked before she could stop herself. The boy had turned back to the shelves and began running his fingers over the spines of the books. Without turning to face her he nodded.

"I'm a second year." He said simply.

"Oh. My brother is a second year. I'm going to be a first." Cara smiled softly. She stepped up to the bookshelves and started looking over the titles. They were amazingly strange.

"First year eh?" The boy glanced at Cara. "Know what house you want?"

Cara smiled, happy he was open to conversing with her.

"I don't know. My brothers told me a little about them. I guess Gryffindor is probably what I would want."

"Ah… Brother must be a Gryffindor?" The boy asked, turning to face Cara fully. Cara smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. He is. His friends are too." She shrugged. "But I don't know. I'm just happy I get to go."

"Well… Don't let the rumors get to you. Slytherin isn't nearly as bad as the rumors say it is. I can't imagine you've heard good things if your brother is a Gryffindor. There is a bit of a house rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin."

"My brother told me about that. He said that no bad witch or Wizard came from a house other than Slytherin." Cara repeated what she'd been told. The boy rolled his eyes.

"That's just a story." He smirked slightly. "A bad witch or Wizard could come from any house. I wouldn't believe those rumors if I was you. It's just a silly story told to keep up the rivalry."

"Really? My brother and his friends seem pretty sure." Cara shrugged. She didn't know what to think. She had to agree; it didn't make sense that only one house could create a bad witch or wizard, but she also knew Harry wouldn't just make it up.

The boy shrugged. "Well, you can believe what you want. But it seems a bit ridiculous to me." He flashed Cara a smile. She returned the smile and looked back at the books.

"So… Are there any books you'd recommend, as an older student?" She asked.

The boy looked back at the books and shook his head. "No… But what are you interested in?" He asked, facing her again.

"I don't know." Cara frowned softly. "I've never really… had the chance to explore my interests. I guess I don't really know what I like yet. I grew up in a house that was very… against all of this." She gestured around her.

"Ah…" The boy moved down to shelf a few feet away from Cara. He grabbed one of the books and brought it back. "Here, Take a look in here. It's a bit darker, more Macabre. If you like it, then you know you'll find that stuff interesting. If not, then it's a good place to start figuring out what you don't like." He shrugged. "It's one of those genres that easier to tell if it's your thing faster."

Cara took the book and opened it. She flipped through a few pages. It was another creature book, detailing all the knowledge of strange and rather dark creatures. Cara found herself quite fascinated by the contents.

"This is pretty cool." She smiled, settling on a page about something called an Acromantula. "Giant spiders? Creepy…." She smiled though. The boy chuckled.

"There you go. Looks like you are interested in the creepy. So that's one interest down. Now you can work on figuring out the others."

"Thank you." Cara beamed.

The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins. "Here. This one is on me." He gave her a few of the silver coins and slipped the rest back in his pocket. "I'll see you around School." He smiled and walked down the stairs then, leaving Cara on her own. She was too shocked to respond as she held the book in one hand, money in the other.

"Wait! I don't…" She was going to ask his name, but he was already gone from view when she had turned around. Cara sighed, but shrugged it off. Maybe she'd find him again when she was at school, and could give him a proper thank you. She made her way back to the Weasley's spotting her brother now with them. They had all gotten their books and were heading outside. Harry had two stacks, one for him, the others for Cara.

Cara quickly paid for the book in her arms, and then took the ones Harry was holding. Ginny smirked at her and leaned over to whisper something.

"I saw you buy an extra book. Find something good?"

"I ran into this boy up on the upper level. He offered to help me find a book I might like." Cara told Ginny about the meeting with the boy. By the end Ginny was grinning widely.

"Cara, have you got a crush?" She asked. They were leaving the shop with the rest of the Weasley's and now Harry's other friend, Hermione who had joined them. Cara felt her cheeks warm and shrugged.

"He was quite friendly, and Charming." She smiled.

"Ooh." Ginny smirked. "You have a crush for sure."

"Do not…" Cara knew that was a lie though. She felt it was a bit pointless though. She didn't think she could easily find the boy again, even if she wanted to.

"You do!" Ginny practically squealed.

Molly led them over to a place called Olivanders. Cara and Ginny stepped up to the counter, Ginny still trying to get Cara to admit to the crush. An older man, who introduced himself as Mr. Olivander, greeted the two. Each of them was given a variety of wands to test by the man. Cara finally found her wand in a 13 inch, fairly flexible Cherry wood wand with a thestral hair core.

As she and Ginny made to leave the shop with their wands, Cara spotted her brother outside. He was holding a cardboard box in his arms and smiling at his sister. Cara stepped up to him, smiling back.

"Harry?" She asked. She wondered what had him smiling so much. Harry smiled. He passed the box to Cara.

"It's a little early, but Happy Birthday Cara." He also placed a sack of coins on top of the box. "That should be enough for the school year."

Cara knelt down, setting the box on the ground. She pulled back one of the flaps and gasped. Peering up at her from one corner of the box was a tiny, pure white Turkish Angora kitten. The kitten was looking up at Cara with one pale blue eye and one greenish yellow eye. Cara practically glowed as she lifted the kitten into her arms.

"She's beautiful." She smiled. The kitten mewed softly in Cara's arms and nuzzled against her. Harry grinned.

"I figured we could share Hedwig. I thought you might like a cat more then an owl." He shrugged. "So, Happy birthday." He said again. Cara's birthday wasn't until August 12th, but that was in just a few days.

"Thank you Harry." Cara hugged her brother and gently put the kitten back in its box. Harry returned the hug and held up another box.

"Cat supplies." He said. "I made sure you're set to go."

Cara was thrilled she had a pet. She had always wanted an animal, even used to sneak food in her pockets to feed the stray cats around private drive.

The rest of the day passed. Everyone finished getting their supplies for Hogwarts, and everyone returned back to the Burrow that night for a large supper. Cara had her kitten on her lap most of the night, unable to stop herself smiling. She ran her hand over her cat's back and tried to think of a name. By the end of the day, as she was laying in her make shift bed in Ginny's room, she had the name.

"Lumen…" She said softly. The kitten purred and Cara smiled.