A/N: Please Review!
Disclaimer: I own (in this chapter) Ollie, Joan, Charles, Edward, Elizabeth and Mary. The title comes from Romeo And Juliet which belongs to William Shakespeare. Harry Potter related characters and items belong to J. K. Rowling. I own the plot.
Chapter Two- Home Away From Home Away From Home
The wallpaper was peeling off the walls. Looking round there were fire marks, greatly faded, on it as well. It looked as if mum had left here in a hurry, everything was still in it's place. Chairs, tables, phones and even a bin. The problem was that the contents of the bin had been left festering for the last fourteen years and smelled just under toxic. It was Edward's turn to take the rubbish out so I thought that I shouldn't say anything. If I did then it might get loaded onto me.
So this was England. It didn't seem too good to me. I saw something in the corner of the room. Wedged between the wall and a cabinet. I went over to pick it up when my head started to feel dizzy and my vision started to blur, before I knew it, I had passed out.
There were people, a lot of people, they poured into the room yelling and shouting. I couldn't see them properly, I just knew that they were there, huge blurred shapes that towered over me, crowded me, descended on me. I felt a pair of hands grab me and scoop me up. I heard my mother screaming my name. I was carried out of the crowd of people and rushed downstairs. I was handed to my mother. I heard her talk faintly "Charles, oh God Charles, thankyou. We have to go, now." I then felt my mother running towards the door. I dropped the thing that I was holding. I screamed out, trying to get it. I felt a searing pain on my arm. It felt like it was on fire.
I felt my mum keep on running, trying desperately to get away from the crowd. I could see blurred shapes that I could recognise. My mum was carrying me and Mary. Charles was running behind her trying to drag Edward. The pain in my arm was intense. So was the pain in my head.
"Elizabeth, wake up, wake up!" I heard Charles yell at me."
"Wha...?"
"You fainted. Are you okay?" He asked me with genuine concern in his voice.
"I'm fine. Where are we? Wait, we're in England right?"
"Right. You know that saying, home away from home? Well, this is home away from home away from home. This is home, which is away from our old home in Italy, which is away from our home here. Understand?"
"Not really." I said. My head still hurt and I didn't want to get into Charles's mind riddles.
"You scared mum half to death just now. She's looking round the house, seeing if there's any more fourteen year old rubbish anywhere. You sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine. Really." I said when I saw the look on his face. I wanted him to go. He got the hint and left me alone. The second he was gone I lifted up the sleeve of my shirt. There, where I had felt the pain in the memory, was a burn mark.
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"Hmm." Dumbledore murmured as he watched the Tuner bird fly around in the fire. Fakes hadn't taken to him very well, probably because he was outshone by this intruder but Dumbledore liked it. He was still young so his voice hadn't reached proper capacity yet. However, this didn't stop it trying to sing. It seemed to like the fire. It sang a happy tune. Tuner birds were birds only kept by wizards and witches. They changed colour according to the temperature and sang the tune that they felt there mood suited to. They couldn't sing words but they could sing notes and because of this you could teach them individual songs. You could even enter competitions if they were good enough. Dumbledore stood up and went to go to the Riddle house.
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I had had the burn for as long as I could remember, longer even, than that. Part of me wanted to say that the memory was just my mind playing tricks but another part of me said that I had found what I had never been told. Why we left and how I got my burn. The memory slid away into the depths of my mind when I heard a familiar screech.
"Ollie!" I yelled. I walked downstairs and opened the door. Ollie flew straight at me, the old man that mum had written to stood there. I shut the door in his face and went upstairs. He had kidnapped Ollie and I didn't want anything to do with him.
Mum made me come down however to apologise. I decided then that I didn't like him. Why? I didn't understand the question that I asked myself. I didn't act like this to people usually. I supposed that I could try to like him at least. I got confused when he produced a shabby looking hat from a case that he was holding. It was covered in patches and it looked like it hadn't been cleaned for centuries. I didn't understand why mum looked so happy about it.
"This," the old man said, "is the Hogwarts sorting hat. It determines which house you will be in."
Personally, I was happy enough studying with mum at home.
Edward put on the hat. He closed his eyes and a moment later the hat said Hufflepuff. Elizabeth put the hat on then.
Well.
Well what?
Any house you'd like to be in?
Not Gryffindor.
Really, I think that Gryffindor would help you. You've got a good centre to you but a bad exterior. I think GRYFFINDOR.
It said the last bit to everyone.
Mary then became a Slytherin.
"You'll be pleased to know that school starts the day after tomorrow. If we can find a Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher in time that is."
"What about Charles?" I asked, but then realised what I'd said. The old man, he called himself Dumbledore asked us to leave then.
On the way back upstairs I stopped by the thing I had seen earlier. I picked it up. It was a small Teddy bear with burn marks and dust all over it. It's fur was falling off. I picked it up and hugged it, not knowing why it gave me comfort. I went upstairs into my room. A place that still smelled of smoke where the only thing left recognisable was a cot with the blankets still in it.
A/N: Please Review. The next chapter is set on the Hogwarts Express and in the future the chapters will also be centred on Edward and Mary and not just on Elizabeth. Please Review!
