My name is Ruby Winston. I have wavy red hair, green eyes, and the palest skin you have ever seen. I live with my parents and two younger brothers on a farm outside of Surrey during the summers. My mother, my father, and my brothers are non-magical. The day I received my letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, my parents were convinced it was a joke and threw my letter away.

I was upset because for a moment I was convinced there was magic in the world and something about that made me feel like maybe I could have belonged somewhere. Things I nor my parents could explain had been happening since I turned 8. Once when my brother, Louis, was bothering me the chair he was jumping on suddenly broke into pieces resulting in a sprained wrist for him.

Owls kept showing up to the farm with letters identical to the first and finally another envelope with instructions on how to get to a place called "Diagon Alley" came with one of the letters. My parents fed up with the noise the owls made and the mess they left behind decided to have a look at finding this place. My first trip to Diagon Alley is something I will always remember; the smells, the sights, the extravagance of Gringotts when my parents needed to exchange muggle money for Wizard money, getting my wand, buying books and finding my first cauldron. I knew straight away that I would love potion making, flipping through that first potions book everything was so precise and scientific in a way.

It was finally my 7th Year at Hogwarts! I was excited because I was almost done with my school career and one step closer to becoming a healer. This summer had been difficult with all of the things He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has been doing not only to the wizarding world but to the muggle world as well. Every day I worried that my family and I would be victims of random violence at the hands of the Death Eaters. My parents were worried about letting me go back to school but I explained that Hogwarts was the safest place for me to be under the watchful eye of Headmaster Dumbledore.

I was of age to apparate and decided to go to Diagon Alley for my 7th year supplies without risking my parents and brothers be hurt trying to travel with me. Everything changed from the first year I had come. Everyone was quieter, there wasn't the normal cheer, bustle, and air of excitement there normally was. Families huddled closer together and didn't waste time browsing in shops. They avoided making eye contact with anyone outside of their shopping circle. Many shops were empty and boarded up. I completed my shopping and headed to The Leaky Cauldron to take out a room.

I had never slept so horribly in my life. Every sound I heard I was convinced the Death Eaters and possibly even He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had come to off all those who didn't follow him. I did live to see the sun rise and foggy brained and circle eyed I made my way to King's Cross to catch the Hogwarts express. I grabbed a trolley and with the help of a kind passerby lifted my trunk onto it. I walked quickly to the entrance of Platform 9 ¾. The rush of running full speed at a solid looking brick wall never got old. I knew I would pass through but I closed my eyes tight at the last second every time.

I was relieved to find my friend Susan Samuels had returned for her last year despite the scary happenings. I was always studying and didn't have much time for friends. It started out that way because I wasn't sure how to make friends with Wizards and I found other things to do. I wasn't sure how many others were like me and then I met Susan, she was muggle born like me and we were fast friends. She was more interested in becoming an Auror and put more effort into defense against the Dark Arts classes than I did.

I was correct with my first instincts that I would love potions. The first potion I made in Professor Slughorn's class was the memory I used when we learned how to conjure a patronus it made me that happy. Slughorn was certainly my favorite teacher and I was eager to see him and continue Potions for my N.E. .

Susan and I caught up with each other and found an empty compartment and hoisted out trunks into the lofts. The train left the station taking us on our way to our last first night back at Hogwarts.