FATE

With tears rolling down her cheeks, she reappeared. She looked around. She was back in her own place. The bookshop. But for some reason it looked cleaner and newer than when she left it. She sobbed again and dropped to the floor. She couldn't control herself. She was glad to be home but where was her home? She missed them so much. How much of it was her fault? Why did this happen to her? Why?? Why them?? She laid on the floor for about another hour, maybe more. She finally, pulled herself up. Weak with tears and emotional destruction, she made her way out of the bookstore not wanting to be found, ever. She decided that she would get away. She had to leave. She walked down the same street that led her to this day. She waved a cab and went to the airport, got a one-way ticket to Bora-Bora. She figured that it would be nice, take her away from the reality. But what was reality? When was she? How much longer will this pain last? She asked her self again why this all happened to her. That was when she finally understood it all completely. She knew it before, but now she understood it fully. It was fate, the cold hard hands of fate. She finally reached the hut she bought for herself and she sat down on the hammock that was swinging outside. And she began to remember; to remember her story. Her story of how she got here, and it all started with the damn ad on the brick wall that misty fall day.

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HARRY POTTER CONTEST
ENJOY THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME
ABSOLUTLEY UNIQUE
BUT ENTER AT OWN RISK

ENTER YOUR INFORMATION
TO YOUR LOCAL POTTER VENDOR
AND WE WILL CHOOSE
THE ONE AT FATE

The Harry Potter Researchers Foundation

"Oh my God!! Charly! We should so do that!!! How cool would it be if we won," Anna Loatis exclaimed to her friend, Charlene Themes, a petite girl with short brown hair and prominent green eyes who was looking quizzically at the ad on the wall as the rain was beginning to drip and crisp brown and red leaves were swishing, but yet falling gracefully to the ground. "Oh ya, right. like we would win, Anna. Besides, it doesn't look very professional, it's probably a scam, you know one of those ones that collect your info and steal your money. do you really want to risk it?" "Oh puh-lease, you think too much," Anna complained, standing with mock attitude and an eyebrow raised, pulling a damp leaf out of her hair "let's try it. God knows you need a vacation!"
"Fine!! I'll do it with you, BUT, I'm writing down your information instead of mine, minus the phone number, in case I do win," Charly agreed reluctantly, "I can't believe I'm doing this for and with you, couldn't you have done it yourself?"
"Nope!! Thank you, thank you!!! You know I love you, right?" Anna had totally changed from her pout mode that comes complete with droopy puppy eyes to jumping up and down in total excitement, continuously hugging Charly. Meanwhile, Charly was rolling her eyes and swatting at the thin, blonde, bobbed girl clamoring trying to breathe as well as keeping her increasingly wet hair from sticking to her face all the while laughing. She couldn't believe that she had agreed to do such a stupid thing. Don't get her wrong now, she was a total Harry Potter freak, and lived and breathed at every word written by JK Rowling. The only thing about this "contest" besides the lack of professionalism was the "Enter at own risk," that kind of made her wonder. She started thinking while she was writing down "her" information for the contest. -what kind of trip could it be? There're not too many places you could go for a Harry Potter trip. I mean, there's no such thing as Hogwarts, or any of the little magical towns. I guess it could be a stay at JK's house.that'd be cool. but I highly doubt it. Maybe it's a trip on the Hogwarts Express. didn't they do that once before? Or something like it. whatever. I'll never find out. And what is the Harry Potter Researchers Foundation? For God's sake, this is way too weird. Hmm. What if.-
"Char? You okay?"
"Huh?? Oh ya. I'm fine. I'm just trying to think of what this thing is"
"Well, you kinda spaced out for a while there. I was a little worried"
"Oh, no worries mate," she said in a mock Aussie accent and with a smile. Charly looked down at what she had been writing, it was all of her own info down toward the end -Ah, screw it, if they want my money, it won't be much, I'm as broke as a.a. oh I dunno. But I don't got none.-, "Let's get out of this rain, I'm getting soaked."
Walking briskly side by side, the two wet girls brought their information down to Marla's Magnificent Books which was a nice quaint little bookstore down on the corner of the street. The store was old with chipping white washed brick. There was a thick oak door propped open with a little black concrete high-buttoned boot. The pair stepped inside and felt instant warmth. Charly absolutely adored bookstores. She could spend all day in one, just finding old books, new books, any books. Of course she had her preferences, mostly the newer youth fiction books, the comic ones, but she could also sit with a classic for ages, and well. Harry Potter, of course.
There was a crisp fire burning in the far corner, and there were rows and rows of books surrounding them. Most of them looked aged, like they were at least a hundred years old. The old woman, widowed, was named Mrs. Rankert. She was the longtime owner of the store, and was a very sweet elder. She only got cranky when you were too loud or disrespectful to her husband or her books. She was lonely, but she seemed happy. She was secure within her books, and couldn't ask for more in her life.
The friends walked up and greeted Mrs. Rankert, "Good afternoon, Mrs. Rankert. How are you doing this rainy day?"
"Fine, my dears, just fine. I could feel it comin'. Felt it through my knee, it always acts up when the weather will be getting rough or unpleasant," Mrs. Rankert had a warm southern accent that matched her hospitality, " How can I help you two today?"
"We've come to turn in our forms for the contest!!" Anna said loudly and cheerfully, which got her a swift elbow kick from Charly, "ouch, what was that for?" she asked Charly impatiently but quietly.
"Mrs. Rankert?"
"Yes, Honey?"
"Do you know anything about this contest? The one set up by the Harry Potter Researchers Foundation? It seems a little shady, like they don't want anyone to know about it."
"Oh yes. Of course I know about it. It's quite an exciting contest. They aren't publicizing it for a reason. But I shall tell you that reason later. No need to worry about it now, darling. And about the Research Foundation, they are a group of wonderfully brilliant researchers that are trying to delve into the world of Harry Potter, and every thing behind it. Let's just say that they stumbled across something, and would like to share it with a lucky young winner."
"What did they discover?" Charlie and Anna asked in almost complete unison. "That my dears, is for the lucky winner to find out. Maybe one of you will be it! The winners will be chosen the second week of October. But they will have to be ready to go October 31, 2003. No later. The trip will last 3 days. Good luck you two!"
The girls placed their slips of paper with their information on the dark wooden counter next to the cashier and made their way back out in to the cool, crisp, wet, autumn weather. Finally they got to Anna's house, a beautiful Georgetown house that had a similar rustic brick on the exterior as the bookstore, but the most amazing interior, seeing as her mother was one of the top interior decorators in the area. The two stripped off their rain soaked jackets, and shoes, and made their way upstairs to Anna's room which was decorated like something straight out of the Pottery Barn magazine, it was perfect. It was just like Anna. Sophisticated, yet carefree, modern, but classic. Charly always admired Anna for what she was; she could have only hoped and dreamed to have a family like hers, a life like hers. But she knew she couldn't have it.
Sure she wasn't poor, or unhappy, she just wanted some more substance to her life. Her mother had died when she was in sixth grade, and they were very close, but she felt like she had so much unfinished business with her, she missed her. Charly's father was a wonderful man, she loved him too, but he had changed so much since her mother's death. Her brother was a totally other undiscussed story, she just didn't like him. let's leave it at that.
"So, Char, whaddya wanna do?" Anna asked cheerfully.
"Hmm. I don't know. What do you recommend?"
"I say we either watch a movie, or spy on the hotties next door, or get my sister or brother in trouble in one way or another," Anna suggested all of their usual doings. "I say we manage all three, it has been done before! Let's try again!!"
And with that, the two set off for a movie to watch, a hottie to find, and a sibling to distress.

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ok.. so how was that for the first chappie.. That took me FOREVER for me to think of some way to start the thing. I know it's really boring.. but this is my first one.. and I'm warming up. I also am VERY aware that it is so short.. I could have written more. like about how they tormented the siblings. but I didn't hink that you would have wanted to sit through that and I would have lost anybody that may have actually read it.. and if you have. than I LOVE YOU!!! You have no Idea how much I appreciate you .. so PLEASE review so that I know you read it. I'm sure you guys have an idea as to what happens later. not all of it!!! It will be an awesome story if I can getthe whole thing down.. it will be a long story. and the Potter stuff comes in later.. if not the next chapter. then the next. I love lily james fics.. if that gives you any clue. so I hope you enjoy.. I may also need a beta.. but I'm not sure yet.. it may be too embarrassing. seeing how I suck at writing and all that.. but maybe they could helpme.. hmm. well.. I'd better let you go.. and I'm most likely working on the next chapter as you read this so hold up!!!! Buh byes!!