The sun was starting to fall by the time they started heading for the Leaky Cauldron.

They had stopped quickly to pick up a cage for Mercedes, then went on their way.

"So you think Rose and you will become friends?" Miss Johnson asked slyly. "You both seem to like reading, smart cookies you two are!"

"I hope so, I think me and Scorpius will get along too," Channing smiled

Miss Johnson let out a sigh.

"About him…Channing, his parents are…well…they and your mother don't get along very well…they are family you know…and I don't know if she'd like you to hang around him,"

"But Miss Johnson even you said he wasn't like his parents! He seemed really nice!" Channing objected sternly.

They were approaching the outside of the bar, once in the door Channing could see her mother; she was sitting alone, with a mug in her hand, looking very pale.

Channing ran over and sat near her mother. "Today was so wonderful mum! All these witches and wizards they are so friendly to me, even if I'm a muggle-born!" Channing smiled brightly grabbing her mother's arm.

"I'm glad that you're so happy Channing," her mother replied darkly. "But you are not a-"

"I told you bringing Channing here was a good idea Delilah! Look how excited she is already,"

Miss Johnson walked up to the two with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, it's wonderful! This girl named Rose Weasley, she gave me a book to read, it's called Hogwarts, a History, and I can't wait to read it. I want to learn as much as I can before I go on the train!"

"Well you better get at it then, the train brings you on the first of September," Miss Johnson smiled

"That's only two weeks away!"

"The way you read sweetheart you'll know more about being a wizard then any of us by the time you leave for Hogwarts," said her mother suddenly sounding happy.

"Oh mum that reminds me, can you tell me about the houses? Which were you in?"

Her mother looked down into her mug for a moment, her happiness faded, visibly on her face.

"I was in Slytherain house," she said quietly

Channing looked over to Miss Johnson with confusion in her eyes.

"I've heard bad things about that house,"

Miss Johnson moved over towards her with a faked laugh and grin.

"Oh dear there's silly things like that for every house, they say all Slytherain are evil, all Gryffindor are heroes, all Ravenclaw geniuses and all Hufflepuff are lazy, they are just silly house rivalries they are, I tell you!"

Delilah looked down at the table trying desperately to avoid Channing's eyes.

"Oh," Channing said with a sinking feeling.

"I was in Hufflepuff myself dear, do I seem very lazy to you?"

Channing looked up at her with a smile.

"No, you don't"

Channing mother put up a false smile and stood up.

"Alright then, I think it's about time to head out now don't you think so dear?" she asked moving over towards her daughter.

"Oh but Mum we just came back over to see you, and I'm so hungry, could we get a bite to eat?"

Channing asked taking her mother's hand.

"Come on then Delilah! Don't let the poor girl starve!" Miss Johnson joked.

"Ok I'll go up and get you something to eat alright, dear?" said Delilah with a smile.

"Yes! Thank you mum," she said giving her mother a quick squeeze around the waist.

She walked over to the counter and talked to the woman behind it.

The three women stayed together and ate. They talked of nothing but Hogwarts and the Wizarding World. They were all smiles and laughs throughout their meal, and even Delilah was in a bright mood.

They exited together, all arm in arm.

"Oh mum this was the greatest day ever," Channing said leaning into her.

"It was lovely wasn't it?" she replied with a smile.

The streets looked so much different at night then they did in the daylight. A somewhat eerie feeling lurked in the air, and it worried Channing greatly. Her mother had let go of her hand and was grasping her forearm, it was something, and it seemed to Channing that she only did when she was very nervous.

Miss Johnson must have noticed as well, because she was looking at her with concern.

"Is everything alright Delilah?" she asked, though it sounded like she knew something was amiss.

Delilah looked up at Gloria with a pale expressionless face.

"Oh Merlin!" Miss Johnson gasped

Channing looked around her for a moment noticing a fog rolling in. It was the same as the one from yesterday.

The lights on the buildings seemed to fade and become darker.

A chill ran down her spine.

"Mum…what's going on?"

Delilah stared at her daughter, terror in her eyes.

"You just go off with Miss Johnson alright? Maybe stay over there for tonight, it just occurred to me I have something I need to do…," she said obviously lying

"Wait no…what's happening?" Channing asked

"Come with me, child, and don't say one word," said Miss Johnson grabbing Channing's wrist.

Channing was frightened out of her mind but obeyed the command. They were running quickly now, desperately zooming in and out of alleys and storefronts.

She could still barely make out the outline of her mother, she was standing alone outside of the Leaky Cauldron, grasping onto her left forearm still.

"We will go the Weasley's joke shop is what we will do! We are sure to be safe there!" Gloria thought aloud

Channing pulled her arm away from Miss Johnson.

"Safe? Safe from what? I can't let my mum be out there alone in danger…"

Channing pulled out her wand and rushed towards her mother's outline. She held out her wand at arms length out in front of her, as if she was in a joust.

In the distance in front of her, a few black cloaked wizards approached her mother. "Mum!" she shouted and stopped in her place, not knowing what she was supposed to do.

She stared on helplessly as the figures in black circled around Delilah.

"Mum!" she shouted again tears forming in her eyes. "Mum…"

One of the figures raised his arm into the air, towards her mother.

"Stupefy!" he exclaimed.

A jet of red light burst out of his wand and struck her mother, causing her to faint onto the pavement

"Mum…" Channing whimpered still holding out her wand, unsure on how to use it.

In the back of her mind, she cursed herself for not knowing any spells to use. Her tears continued to fall slashing down on the cobblestone under her.

For quick moment, another chill formed at the base of her spine, and a horrible snake-like voice hissed into her ear.

'Avada Kedavra'

Channing was confused by the voice and looked around her for the its source but found none.

She looked back up at the figures in front of her, she noticed now that one of the figures was picking up her mother and placing her over their shoulder.

"Stop! Stop it! Put her down!" Channing screeched at the top of her lungs, dropping her wand on the ground under her.

"Mum! Mum! Come back!" she yelled as the figures disappeared one by one bringing her mother along with them.

Channing closed her tear soaked eyes and screamed out loud "Mum! Mum!"

All around her the lights went out and fear over took her.

A moment later, everything went black.