AUTHOR'S NOTE: There will be several chapters in this story, each one
narrated by one of the characters. They'll each have approximately two
chapters each. The only characters that are unique in my story are the
American witches and most of the people in California. All others belong to
J.K. Rowling. Okay, I'm finished now. Read on! (And if you like, Review!)
Chapter One
Harry
So. My fifth year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was over. All my friends and I boarded the Hogwarts Express for the ride back to King's Cross Station, where we would be welcomed home by our families.
Well, almost everyone. I'd be lying if I told you that I returned to a happy reunion. My Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon are never pleased with me. I don't let that bother me too much, though. I'm never pleased with them, either. How could I? Especially since they're always gushing about my cousin Dudley. I swear to you, there was never anyone more disgusting than him. His blonde hair is always matted, he gets horrible marks in school, he's a spoiled brat, and must weigh at least 400 pounds. Sometimes I wonder how I could be related to the Dursleys.
Not that I'm blessed when it comes to looks or anything. I'm short and skinny and my black hair is never neat despite what I do to it. I have to put up with a thick wad of tape around the center of my glasses because Dudley punched me. Oh, well. At least I know I've got the edge when it comes to personality.
And now I was faced with two whole months of putting up with the Dursleys. I had a feeling I was really going to miss my past year at Hogwarts more than ever, especially because of all that happened.
First, Hogwarts got six new transfer students – all American witches. Five were fifteen (now sixteen), which meant that they were in the same year as my friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and I. Their names are Brittny, Lori, Denise, Carolyn, and Brittany. At first my friends and I thought they were all psycho or something, but they turned out to be pretty cool (although they still scare me sometimes). The sixth girl is Brittany's little sister, Elizabeth. I'd like her a lot more if she didn't have a humongous crush on me (especially since she is not afraid to announce it to the world). I think all six of them are going to end up as Hogwarts Legends.
Besides all the crazy little things they did throughout the school year, they also through a huge party on December 31 to celebrate New Year's Day. It took place in the giant backyard of Mrs. Kingston, who is their guardian while they're here in England. The whole school was invited…and everyone showed up. They spread around this ridiculous Muggle tradition that says you have to kiss someone at midnight on New Year's Eve or you'll have bad luck for the rest of the year. (They're all Muggle-born.) You would not believe who had to kiss who. The party lasted until 2 o'clock in the morning.
Brittny made the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. She's now our official keeper. I'm the seeker (and proud of it). Brittny is a very, very good Quidditch player – maybe even better than Oliver Wood, our original keeper. I'm not exaggerating.
We were all sorry to say good-bye at the end of the year. We had all become good friends over the year. Everyone promised to write and get together sometime, and my new friends promised to call often (although I wasn't sure if Vernon would let me speak on the telephone). And so we all went our separate ways.
A week went by. I received exactly one letter from all of my friends (including Hagrid, the gamekeeper at Hogwarts) and I had written back. I was pretty sure that this was how my summer was going to pass; writing letters back and forth, maybe getting together once, and waiting anxiously for the school year to start again.
I was wrong. I was so very, very wrong.
It all started on Saturday of the next week. I remember it was June 13. I was lying on my bed rereading the letters I had received and praying that I wouldn't be called down to do more chores. I had already mowed the lawn, weeded the garden, washed the floors, polished the silverware, washed the car, cooked lunch, and cleaned out the broom closet. It was about 6:45 p.m. Tomorrow I was going to have to clean out the garage. I was not looking forward to it.
Suddenly, I heard a tapping noise on my window. I looked up and saw Brittany's great gray owl, Merciful Heavens. Her name is Merciful Heavens, Mercy for short, because that's what her mother said when she brought her home from the wizard pet shop three years ago.
I opened the window and Mercy flew in and dropped a piece of parchment on top of my schoolbooks. It was rolled and tied with a pink ribbon, which was a definite sign that it was from Brittany because she absolutely loves the color pink. I untied it and the parchment unrolled neatly. I read:
Dear Harry,
My friends and I have had the most brilliant idea ever. We've come up with a summer plan to end all summer plans: What do you think about spending two weeks in California, our old home?
If she had been standing there, I would have immediately said yes; but since I couldn't, I decided to finish the letter.
I know, I know; you don't think your Aunt and Uncle will let you. We'll convince them. The Weasleys are letting Ron come, so we'll have them on our side. Hermione's coming, too. Everything's all ready set up with our families back in California. We have it all planned out, and it won't be very expensive, either!
Oh my gosh, we're all going to have SO MUCH FUN! We're all meeting at Ron's house tonight to talk about it. Wait by your window at 10 o'clock tonight. One of us will swing by and pick you up. See you soon!
Your Friend,
Brittany
Meeting at Ron's house tonight? Going to California for two weeks with all of my friends? I couldn't wait!
I began to mentally plan things out. What would I take with me? My owl Hedwig, that's for sure. I couldn't just abandon her. Clothes, definitely. Did I even have enough clothes? Most of my clothes were old hand-me-downs from Uncle Vernon and Dudley. What about my wand? Would I need it? And what about my broomstick?
Where would I want to go? I didn't know anything about California. I had some serious decisions to make.
Oh, well. I had a feeling that it would definitely be worth it.
Chapter One
Harry
So. My fifth year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was over. All my friends and I boarded the Hogwarts Express for the ride back to King's Cross Station, where we would be welcomed home by our families.
Well, almost everyone. I'd be lying if I told you that I returned to a happy reunion. My Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon are never pleased with me. I don't let that bother me too much, though. I'm never pleased with them, either. How could I? Especially since they're always gushing about my cousin Dudley. I swear to you, there was never anyone more disgusting than him. His blonde hair is always matted, he gets horrible marks in school, he's a spoiled brat, and must weigh at least 400 pounds. Sometimes I wonder how I could be related to the Dursleys.
Not that I'm blessed when it comes to looks or anything. I'm short and skinny and my black hair is never neat despite what I do to it. I have to put up with a thick wad of tape around the center of my glasses because Dudley punched me. Oh, well. At least I know I've got the edge when it comes to personality.
And now I was faced with two whole months of putting up with the Dursleys. I had a feeling I was really going to miss my past year at Hogwarts more than ever, especially because of all that happened.
First, Hogwarts got six new transfer students – all American witches. Five were fifteen (now sixteen), which meant that they were in the same year as my friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger and I. Their names are Brittny, Lori, Denise, Carolyn, and Brittany. At first my friends and I thought they were all psycho or something, but they turned out to be pretty cool (although they still scare me sometimes). The sixth girl is Brittany's little sister, Elizabeth. I'd like her a lot more if she didn't have a humongous crush on me (especially since she is not afraid to announce it to the world). I think all six of them are going to end up as Hogwarts Legends.
Besides all the crazy little things they did throughout the school year, they also through a huge party on December 31 to celebrate New Year's Day. It took place in the giant backyard of Mrs. Kingston, who is their guardian while they're here in England. The whole school was invited…and everyone showed up. They spread around this ridiculous Muggle tradition that says you have to kiss someone at midnight on New Year's Eve or you'll have bad luck for the rest of the year. (They're all Muggle-born.) You would not believe who had to kiss who. The party lasted until 2 o'clock in the morning.
Brittny made the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. She's now our official keeper. I'm the seeker (and proud of it). Brittny is a very, very good Quidditch player – maybe even better than Oliver Wood, our original keeper. I'm not exaggerating.
We were all sorry to say good-bye at the end of the year. We had all become good friends over the year. Everyone promised to write and get together sometime, and my new friends promised to call often (although I wasn't sure if Vernon would let me speak on the telephone). And so we all went our separate ways.
A week went by. I received exactly one letter from all of my friends (including Hagrid, the gamekeeper at Hogwarts) and I had written back. I was pretty sure that this was how my summer was going to pass; writing letters back and forth, maybe getting together once, and waiting anxiously for the school year to start again.
I was wrong. I was so very, very wrong.
It all started on Saturday of the next week. I remember it was June 13. I was lying on my bed rereading the letters I had received and praying that I wouldn't be called down to do more chores. I had already mowed the lawn, weeded the garden, washed the floors, polished the silverware, washed the car, cooked lunch, and cleaned out the broom closet. It was about 6:45 p.m. Tomorrow I was going to have to clean out the garage. I was not looking forward to it.
Suddenly, I heard a tapping noise on my window. I looked up and saw Brittany's great gray owl, Merciful Heavens. Her name is Merciful Heavens, Mercy for short, because that's what her mother said when she brought her home from the wizard pet shop three years ago.
I opened the window and Mercy flew in and dropped a piece of parchment on top of my schoolbooks. It was rolled and tied with a pink ribbon, which was a definite sign that it was from Brittany because she absolutely loves the color pink. I untied it and the parchment unrolled neatly. I read:
Dear Harry,
My friends and I have had the most brilliant idea ever. We've come up with a summer plan to end all summer plans: What do you think about spending two weeks in California, our old home?
If she had been standing there, I would have immediately said yes; but since I couldn't, I decided to finish the letter.
I know, I know; you don't think your Aunt and Uncle will let you. We'll convince them. The Weasleys are letting Ron come, so we'll have them on our side. Hermione's coming, too. Everything's all ready set up with our families back in California. We have it all planned out, and it won't be very expensive, either!
Oh my gosh, we're all going to have SO MUCH FUN! We're all meeting at Ron's house tonight to talk about it. Wait by your window at 10 o'clock tonight. One of us will swing by and pick you up. See you soon!
Your Friend,
Brittany
Meeting at Ron's house tonight? Going to California for two weeks with all of my friends? I couldn't wait!
I began to mentally plan things out. What would I take with me? My owl Hedwig, that's for sure. I couldn't just abandon her. Clothes, definitely. Did I even have enough clothes? Most of my clothes were old hand-me-downs from Uncle Vernon and Dudley. What about my wand? Would I need it? And what about my broomstick?
Where would I want to go? I didn't know anything about California. I had some serious decisions to make.
Oh, well. I had a feeling that it would definitely be worth it.