Disclaimer:  

    I got the idea for this story from moe23,   

Summery:  lol… yeah right! Read it! Review please, I need to hear what ppl think. 

A young teenage girl with jet black hair. Long, and wavy… with striking emerald green eyes.  It couldn't be they said… she walked through the door of the Leaky Cauldron and every head turned to her.  Her memory flicked back to a time she will never forget.

                                    *

" Lily!! Take Harry and go!"

What about me?  I thought, three years old, what about me. I'm here too! Don't forget me!  I saw my father panic as the man with jet red eyes stood in the doorway of our little home in Godric's Hollow.  I saw my mother run with my baby brother who shared my eyes… But what about me?  I was left to run and hide.  The man would find me.  I heard my father fall, after the shout of an unthinkable curse… a blast of bright green light.  I heard my mother scream to save my baby brother… I was scared. It was dark, I was hidden, but my mother wasn't.

She was screaming, screaming for the man to stop, don't hurt her child… 'Take me, not Harry'.  Had she forgotten her other child?  The three year old daughter with the messy black hair hiding under a table in her room?

 Then I saw the second flash of green light, my mother was gone too. I remember feeling the icy cold of the Halloween night….  I heard the cry of baby Harry, saw yet again the third flash of green light.  I waited with batted breath… simpering out of fear….then heard the cry of him again.  He was alive.  How though?  The spell that had devoured my mother and father, had left my little brother only crying. 

Then, one more sound reached my small ears as I crawled out of my hiding space.  The sound of a motor cycle.  I panicked.. what if they had come back? More men like the man with the red eyes? I did all I could do, I ran.  And ran. Ran away from my ashen home, the roaring sound of the motorcycle… the crying of my baby brother… who I should have grabbed. Into that cold night, unsure of if I'd return, or what would be there if I ever did. 

                                                                                                                                       *

I never went back. 

I think of that night way to often, even when you're three years old, something that horrific strikes a cord in your mind. Forever etched into the back of my head, that night will play itself over and over.   I've driven myself to the edge of insanity and back thinking of all the things I could have done differently.  Seen who the man on the motorcycle was, grabbed my brother.  I don't know if my brother is still alive, whether he is near me… I think I would know if he was.  Dead, that is.  But still, if he is, why haven't they let me see him?  Why… I have so many questions. And never enough answers.

         I ran of course, very far.  For a three year old girl it was far anyway.  But hey, give me credit I was smart enough for my age, even if most people don't remember that age.  From what I remember, I found my way to a hospital. They took me in and took care of me,  I didn't however, talk.  I never uttered a word.  What would I tell a muggle hospital? 

 "Oh… my mum and dad were just murdered by a curse of green light by a man with red eyes?!" Right…. That'd have worked real well!! No,  I kept my mouth closed tight.  Except when eating that horrible food.  I would have killed for a bag of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans those times in that hospital.  I remember the way my stomach growled… the way that room smelled.  The questions they asked.  They had as many questions as I do now, 
 

         And I remember the lady.  Mrs.Figg. The cat lady… She was the one who came into the hospital to take me.  To this day I'm not quite sure how she got me out of there, cause with Muggles you need all those papers and such, but she did it.  Her house smelled of cats and cabbage, which we ate on a regular weekly basis, I remember that too. She kept me until I was old enough to attend school, and I went to her house over the summer vacations.   I tend not to remember things though.  Blurry patches of conversations… I'm lucky to remember anything.  That's what I say anyway…. That's another question I'd like answered!  How come I can only remember some things.  There were five years in between that day at the hospital and the day I got my letter to attend Salem Witch Academy…. And I remember bowls of cereal and mugs of hot chocolate… but I never remember any answers.  I know I asked… I asked LOADS of questions… are my mum and dad ever coming back?  What happened to baby Harry?  My house… did they rebuild it?  Who was that Man with the red eyes?  Who took baby Harry?

         I never remember getting any answers.  I spent five years at Salem Witches Academy.  Going to the only place I could call home now, Mrs.Figg's.   Every summer… she'd send me on a mini vacation.  A day out, go to the amusement park, any park, buy anything!  Just stay away all day.  Always on the same day.

  I never cared much,  I was young, but I still could do whatever I wanted.  I went to toy stores, and tried to find the magical shops that Mrs.Figg had mentioned.  But on my own, I was hopeless.  I couldn't find the Leaky Cauldron , the place we go once a year to get my school supplies.  I never got to leave the Leaky Cauldron though.  In fact, I never left the room.  I was supposed to stay in the room and Mrs.Figg got all the things I needed.  That day, and the day where I could spend lots of money, was pretty much the only days I went out over the summer.

         I enjoyed the time at school much more.  I was no longer Vanessa Lily Potter.  As my parents named me, I was called that only by Mrs.Figg, to "remind me of who I am" even though I didn't know a whole lot about that.  Nessa… I was Nessa, little Nessa.  But at school, I was Alex.  Alexandra Smith.  Very original huh?  Oh well, I liked it for whatever I could.  Smith… geez you'd think I could be Anastasia Elamentara or something extravagant like that… but nope… Alex Smith.  Comical really. Anyway, on with my story… 

         That's how I got here.  I don't want to explain my years at Salem, five years of acquiring the knowledge I have now.  Not to brag or anything… I'm smart.  I just had to point that out, highest marks on everything I'm a fast learner.  Then one day… I got word from Mrs.Figg that I wasn't to attend Salem Witches Academy any more.  I was shocked.  I had friends there!! Friends I didn't want to leave behind!! Missy, Clair, Michelle… why did I have to leave them when it took me so long to get them in the first place.  Ok, so I'm 16, I can handle moving.  I knew that. But knowing that doesn't make it much easier to say good-bye. Wait, I didn't get to say good bye.  I had to leave, no explanations… I'm sure that they remember as little about me as I do about the five years in between hospital and school…

         So now, here I stand, in the doorway of the Leaky Cauldron which I was finally allowed to walk into when it wasn't the dead of the night, and no one was around.  The secrecy.. the secrecy of my entire life just thrown away to walk into the room there that day.   I had the feeling, as every head in the place turned toward me, I wouldn't see the only place I could call home now again. 

                                                                                                                                       Chapter One

         Yeah… chapter one.  This is my story.  I told you what you need to know… I'm 16, I spent 5 years at the Salem Witch Academy… now Mrs. Figg, my caretaker drags me out of my "home" that I had just got accustomed to.  It wasn't my real home.  I had lost that long ago, but that and Salem was the only places I could pretend were a home!  Yes, I know emotional girl moment, but they have to happen sometime. 

         Lets talk about my power.  Yes, lets talk about that.  The magic, the literal magic in my life.  There wasn't much "magic" in any other areas, but there was my power.   I pride myself in my magical abilities. Yes, that's snobby, do  I care? No.  I don't have a family, (that I can find) I don't have a home, and my only friends are across an ocean… I can't even tell people my real name… at least they can know how skilled I am in school.  I love to impress teachers.  I like to goof off in class but know that the teacher wont do anything cause I get such good grades… No, Alex Smith gets good grades.  Vanessa Potter doesn't even exist.  For as long as need be, I'd be Alex Smith.  Potter… The name always sounded familiar… like in a book a name that you need to know for a test but there's a layer of fog you just can't break through. 

         So, back to my power.  I'm pretty good.  Growing up with Mrs.Figg I invaded her library more than dozens of times… she had books that were amazing!  Flooded, overflowing with information on every potion, spell charm and hex known the wizarding community.  I of course, could seldom practice this magic.  I settled for less than often and seeing as the Ministry knew that there was a registered witch in the house, well at least the ones who mattered, they let it pass by.  It was exhilarating.  By the time I started at Salem, Mrs.Figg knew I had been practicing… and gave up trying to stop me and just let me practice, and study at will.  I excelled in all my classes.   We would be taking the standard tests fifth year… or whatever they are now.  Wherever, whatever school I end up at. 

         I loved school.  I don't know why, I had a passion for it.  Perhaps I threw myself into school because I didn't have much else to throw myself into… family… well I would have thrown myself into family but baby Harry… every time I'd bring it up I forget what happened.  Every now and then, I'd look up from my summer studies and catch dear old (lol… dear old) Mrs.Figg looking at me with a gleam in her eye.  But she'd get embarrassed and busy herself with something near by, and change the subject if I opted to question about it. 

         My Power, however has nothing, (and everything) to do with why every head in the Leaky Cauldron turned towards me that day.  In the middle of the Afternoon, on August 28th with Mrs.Figg and her gray long hair, rivaling in length to my black hair,  her amber eyes, in striking contrast to my emerald ones. ( Which is odd, normally in public she changes them to blue.)  Why are they looking at me?  I'm not THAT pretty… they could chill out really they could , they were making me very nervous.  But I couldn't show that of course.  I just walked in, I had been here before, I waved hello to Tom behind the bar and stepped off into the shadows as Mrs.Figg got our usual rooms, 5 and 4.  Right next to each other… on the second floor.  The heads went back to their drinks, their dinners and the kids began running around with blue sparks following in their wake. 

         I decided that I was tired of not knowing all the answers to my questions.  For so long, I put up with not knowing.  Just dealing with the fact that the answers are right there… but so far away.  It sucks.  I'd get them tonight if it killed me.  Ok, so I probably wouldn't die to remember what I ate on Christmas three years ago… but I could die trying to find out where my baby brother was!  Maybe tonight, maybe tonight. 

         At that moment Mrs.Figg walked into my overly blue room. 

         " Hello child, get yourself settled in, we're staying here till the first."  I just nodded… I didn't really feel like speaking I suddenly felt very coldly towards my keeper… Until she declared her next statement, "Then you'll be starting at Hogwarts, school of Witchcraft and Wizardry." 

         I forgot to breathe.  Wait, stop breathe…. Blink.  HOGWARTS?

         " Well, Child say something!"   I thought quickly, why… why why why….

         " Cool." 

         Alex Smith strikes again. 

                                                                                                                                                  *

I didn't get my answers that night, but hey, I didn't really expect to. 

We fell asleep, Mrs.Figg insisted that because of our "traveling" which, mind you, was so strenuous as two seconds…  we should go to sleep.  Early.  Like, ten o'clock early.  Whatever!  I lay awake for an hours on end… 10 o'clock just isn't do-able.  I would have sneaked out then, but I didn't have the guts yet.  I'm daring, but not that bold right under her nose.  It doesn't work like that.  Well, it does but it doesn't, you know what I don't know so let's continue. 

         The next day, Mrs.Figg decided to burst into my room at oh the usual time of about , 7:00 a.m.

         " I have some errands that need running, "  She paused and looked around the room, already there were strewn books and half scribbled on parchment from my late night before, "  I'll be back around 7 tonight."

         " Can I---"

         " I'd rather not, just stay here for the day please.  I'll explain….. soon. "  I fell and perked up In the same sentence, prison all day, but, answers? I just nodded and with one last piercing glare she left. 

         Hmmm…. 'stay. Here.' Hey Brain, do those words mean anything to you?  Didn't think so.

                                                                                                                                                  I'm free.