Five Strikes-First Impressions And Faking Innocence

Chapter One

This is our first story so we don't know how it's going to turn out. This is a seven part story, one year per story. The first five chapters are introductions to the main characters, if you don't want any background information then just skip to chapter six, when they start Hogwarts. Hope you enjoy it, and please review.

Libby POV*

Dear Diary,

Last Saturday I was in my room when it happened...

Flashback

I heard an alarm ringing throughout the house so I quickly got up to find mummy.

As soon as I opened the door to my bedroom, she came running past me, heading to the stairs. I called her and she snapped her head round to face me, then paused for a moment as she smiled at me and moved to come pick me up. But, I noticed that it was hurried like she was panicked which worried me. There must be something going on.

Quickly, she rushed down the stairs with me in her one arm and her pretty wooden wand in the other.

She put me down on the table and looked at her with my 'dark cloudy blue eyes (or at least that's how my mummy describes them) and she said with a flint of fear in her eye, "I'm going to have to go Libs."

"But why mummy?"

"Because I have to go see your aunt and uncle." She replied.

I paused for a moment. She looked scared and when she's scared I know that I have to let her do what she needs to, even if I don't like it.

"Can I come with you?"

I said with little hope.

"No Libby. I'm sorry."

She lifted me into her arms and I cuddled closer to her while she rocked me and whispered,

"I have to go now Lib. You will be fine without me for a little while, I'm sure, because you're a big girl now, aren't you?"

I nodded softly against her chest, gripping her pyjama shirt tightly as I cried and she carried on speaking, "Don't cry sweetheart, I will be back soon and we can go to that Quidditch match tomorrow against the Hollyhead Harpies. Would you like that honey?"

I nodded again as she put me down and wiped my tears away, giving me a kiss on my forehead.

After another few seconds, the alarm grew louder and mummy quickly left, grasping her pretty wand tightly and disappearing away.

I stared at the space she had stood for a few seconds, worried that she would never reappear.

I turned around to go upstairs and entertain myself but I suddenly heard lots of noise behind me. I whipped my head around to find out what on earth could happen in about 5 seconds to cause that much noise, only to see her running towards the house, several more people behind her. She gave me one look which told me to run, so I ran up to my room and rushed to watch what would happen from the window.

I was scared when I saw bright jets of light flying everywhere, knowing that they weren't going to do any good to anyone who was hit by them. Mummy once told me that the green ones were the most dangerous and there were lots of green ones being shot at her amongst others.

When I saw her get hit by a purple one and fall to the ground, I screamed her name in fear and ran down the stairs outside.

The men in black capes and white creepy masks were closing in on her with their wands pointed towards her chest. I so desperately wanted to cry for her but I knew that I needed to be brave and hold my tears in. Now was not the time when I could do something about this.

I hurried silently towards a conveniently placed tree and hid for a second to get my breath back and think of a plan.

I came up with something that I thought would work and changed into a Phoenix.

In my Phoenix form, I pulled each one up with my claws and knocked them into each other violently, whilst scratching their faces so that they wouldn't get back up again any time soon.

While they were still lying on the floor, I quickly transformed back into my normal self and found their wands that were scattered across the grass.

I snapped each one in turn and threw the splintered pieces of wood back towards them, then ran towards mummy who had slowly but surely risen to a standing position.

She forced her eyes to open while blood trickled down her face, but rather than her mouth forming to murmur a spell, it dropped open at the sight of the defeated bad people and she turned around to find the culprit.

When she saw me, she rushed towards me and asked who had defeated all the baddies and when I murmured a small 'me', her eyes widened in surprise, trying to figure out if I was telling a lie or not.I decided that I'd have to show her, otherwise she wouldn't believe me.

I turned into my Phoenix form and waited for her to process what was happening, which took a whole two minutes.

Mummy's face was funny but I didn't know what to do as she stood there frozen in shock. I tried to break her out of her trance by transforming back and then shaking her.

She soon whispered, "Turn into a Phoenix again, sweetheart."

I did it again and she came towards me, stroking my feathers as I perched on that conveniently placed tree nearby.

A minute or two later, I flew back down and became my normal self again.

Mummy crouched down next to me and asked, "How?"

I grabbed her hand and then went to take her inside to explain but before we reached the door, I saw a purple shimmery dome surrounding something. When I looked closer I saw a child inside, crying their eyes out and it was then that I realised it was my cousin Susan.

I tugged on mummy's hand, pointing towards Susan. When I had got her attention, mummy flicked her wand, her eyes wide and we both rushed towards her as soon as the dome had disappeared.

Mummy started to whisper to Susan while I held her hand, watching sadly as her tears kept flowing.

Mummy hurriedly picked up Susan as if she had remembered something, and then grabbed my hand, pulling me along beside her into the kitchen.

She told me to go into my room and get a backpack ready with all my important stuff in it, so I wordlessly nodded and within ten minutes I had appeared back in the kitchen, my bunny rabbit teddy in my hand, ready to go.

Mummy gave me a smile and thanked me for being so good. She then grabbed her own backpack that she had gathered,grabbed hold of mine and Susan's hands, then dissaperated.

End Flashback

...

We have been living at this new house for a while now, very nearly a week.

It is very different to our old house. This house is much smaller and only has one floor. Mummy says it's called a cottage. This means that I like cottages: they're very cosy and quiet and the scenery is very pretty.

Anyway it's been nice having Susan around, because now I don't have to play by myself because usually mummy is very busy with work. Susan is still a bit upset, though I'm not too sure why. I think it's because something happened to Auntie and Uncle Bones which means we can't see them again. It must be very sad for her but I didn't see them very much so it's not as sad for me. I promise I will be there for Susan and comfort her, and be a good friend while mummy is busy.

Also mummy had feinted when we had reached the cottage! It was very scary but I quickly ran to the kitchen to see if I could find a first aid kit. I found one on the countertop and then I had rushed to heal mummy with the muggle equipment (mummy had given me muggle healing lessons) and then Susan and I had pulled her onto the sofa.

Within an hour she had woken up and she had a slight headache but she was alright. I had asked her about the people in masks and she had said that they were trying to get back at the people who had fought against an evil guy called Voldemort. She explained that Voldemort tortured people for power and didn't want there to be any muggleborns in the world, only those of magical parentage were worthy of magic. Also mummy said they thought that muggleborns had stole their magic and should be imprisoned or killed. I find it really stupid but that reminds me, Susan and I have become best friends with Megan and Neville Longbottom who live over the hill but Megan says she's not actually related to them and she's a Potter which is so cool and her mummy was a muggleborn and was very talented according to mummy.

Last night Megan was over for a sleepover and we were talking about that night with the bad people and Megan thought it was just as scary as her parents being killed but I don't think so, she's way braver, I don't know what I would do if mummy died. Megan also thought that it was really amazing how I could turn into a Phoenix.

That reminds me that I never did say how I found out. I can't remember all the details but I remember when I was about three I had just come inside when I saw smoke coming from the oven. Because I was stupid, I walked over to it and tried to see what was in there, and then something happened and the oven burst into flames, lighting the wooden floor boards underneath it as well. As the flames surrounded me I heard mummy shout my name but I could hardly breathe from the smoke, then as everything was about to go black I suddenly felt myself spinning slightly and then the next thing I knew I was flying. Within a few seconds I was myself again and this happened a few more times before mummy finally reached me or I reached her, but luckily she didn't see me as a Phoenix.

For days I tried to turn back into a Phoenix but it didn't work until I was outside under the really hot sun and then again I quickly found myself off my feet. Working out that heat probably helped me transform, I learnt to control my power and then within a year I had full control of my Phoenix form and powers, although it was a bit of a surprise the first time I was reborn.

Then that's when... I think I hear footsteps now probably mummy telling me it's dinner time. Well, I better go now then. I'll probably write some more later but I gotta go now!!

Libby, xx.