Chapter Three for you guys. No reviews for chapter two so no thanks to anyone. Boo hoo. Please review this chapter.

Chapter Three - Start All Over Again

It was a small gathering. Just a few of their closest friends - Dumbledore, Alice and Frank, Arthur and Molly, Kingsley, and Snape.

Her parents had been cremated and the group were at this moment in a small boat, magically sailing around the lake in the warm summer sun surrounding Hogwarts.

Others in the Order were around the grounds keeping an eye out for any signs of trouble but Kaitlyn didn't notice them. She didn't even notice the sun - to her dark thunder clouds surrounded her. She was standing at the edge of the boat, looking down into the water, an urn in her hands. Alice was holding the other urn. Frank and Arthur had their arms around their wives, comforting them as they shed a few tears. Kingsley and Snape were completely silent and still as Dumbledore prayed aloud. Snape was watching Kaitlyn carefully for any sign of her breaking down. She'd had a completely blank expression on her face the whole morning.

As Dumbledore prayed Kaitlyn slowly tipped the urn up, spreading the ashes around the lake. Once the first urn was empty, she took the one from Alice and repeated the process. Then the boat slowly headed back to where they'd boarded. Kaitlyn didn't talk to anyone, didn't even look at anyone. Just stared out at Hogwarts, knowing that this would be one of the last times she'd ever see it.

Reaching the shore, the boat automatically came to a stop. Snape was the first out and he reached a hand up to help Kaitlyn down. She took a couple steps to get out of the way and looked off into the distance. Snape turned and was helping Alice out when she called out.

"Kaitlyn!"

Snape looked around to see that Kaitlyn had bolted and was sprinting towards the castle. Snape moved to go after her when he felt a hand hold him back and he turned to see Dumbledore looking down at him from the boat.

"Leave her be - she knows not to leave the grounds."

Snape nodded, and once they were all on shore, they headed slowly back up to the castle.

They were going to be having a quiet meal that night, then early the next morning Kaitlyn would be leaving for America.

As dinner wasn't going to be for quite a while yet, the small group broke up and headed their separate ways. Kingsley, who was going to be accompanying Kaitlyn on part of her voyage, headed up to Dumbledore's office with the headmaster. The Weasley's and Longbottom's headed off to view their old stomping grounds, and Snape headed down to his own office in the dungeons.

As he passed the classroom, he noticed that the door was slightly ajar and he frowned. He always left that door locked. Slowly he entered, the familiar squeak of the door telling anyone inside that someone was entering. The place was in complete darkness except for the light coming from the corridor. Snape clapped his hands together, muttering an incantation under his breath and the lamps sparked to life filling the room with flickering light from the flames. There didn't appear to be anyone in the room, but Snape could feel the presence of someone.

"Who's in here?"

He questioned sternly. A small voice broke the silence.

"I didn't mean to trespass."

He turned to see Kaitlyn sitting just in the shadows at the back of the classroom. She was leaning back against the wall, her head tilted slightly upwards. When Snape saw who it was his expression softened the slightest bit.

"What are you doing down here?"

"I wanted to be alone. Besides I like it down here. Smells of potions brewing."

Snape took a seat near to her.

"I just wanted to get a mental picture of the place. So every time I brew a potion I'll remember it, and remember school and how much fun I had here."

"You will be coming back. As soon as the danger's over. Dumbledore wouldn't leave you over there."

"I'm not sure I even want to come back."

She replied quietly.

"Why not?"

"Too many memories. Even in the Ravenclaw common room. My parents scrawled their names in a heart, in the wood by the fire. Everywhere I go reminds me of them. Except here. They hated potions, my mum wasn't very good at it...my father was. But he used to hate it. Preferred being out in the action, than sitting in a classroom."

There was another silence, longer this time but it didn't feel awkward. It felt almost comforting to be in his presence knowing she didn't feel pressured to make conversation. She stared off around the room memorising the desks and potions cupboard, the large cauldrons in the room and the teachers desk, the lamps on the wall and finally the way Professor Snape was sitting, his arms folded around his cloak and that stern, masked expression on his face. She looked down towards the desk as Snape turned back to look at her.

"You will be missed Miss Morgan."

Kaitlyn's eyes darted towards him in shock as he stood.

"Please extinguish the lights and close the door on your way out."

Snape turned and strode out before she could reply.

*****

Six weeks later...

Kaitlyn looked up from her book as the door slammed and saw Jasmina throw herself onto the bed across the room. Kaitlyn rolled onto her back and sat up, leaving the book on the pillow.

The room was quite large and housed three beds, three cupboards, three bedside tables and the girls' trunks, all in their separate areas that were covered in possessions, trinkets and posters belonging to the three girls that shared the room.

Jasmina was the loud, outgoing one out of the three. She was Kaitlyn's age and was a bit of a mischief maker.

"What's happened now?"

Kaitlyn asked, knowing it had to be something to do with boys. Jasmina buried her head further into her pillows and mumbled in her Texan drawl.

"I don't wanna talk 'bout it."

Kaitlyn smiled. They'd gone through this routine nearly every other day since she'd arrived.

"Of course you do."

Kaitlyn said getting up off her own bed and slouching down onto the edge of Jasmina's bed across the room. Jasmina sat up.

"He's so annoying!"

Kaitlyn almost asked 'which one' but knowing it would hurt her feelings she said,

"Who?"

"Jason! He's just so pathetic!"

"All boys are around here."

"Something wrong with American boys?"

Jasmina questioned defensively.

"Yeah, too many balls, not enough brains."

"Jason's not like that!"

"Of course he isn't."

Kaitlyn said sarcastically, but Jasmina seemed too blonde to understand sarcasm.

"He's kind and sweet and - "

" - Pathetic?"

Jasmina sighed.

"He never seems to have time for me! He's always out with those mates of his."

"I don't know what to tell you, girl." Kaitlyn said, thinking. "Except...maybe...why don't you let him do a bit of the running for a change? Leave him for a few days and let him call you up."

Jasmina looked at her, smiling suddenly.

"Thanks Kaitlyn! You're really cool! For a Brit anyway."

Kaitlyn smiled, taking it as a compliment coming from Jasmina.

Kaitlyn got up off the bed and started heading back to her own when the door opened and her other roommate glided in.

Maia was a bit of a strange girl. Always wore black and spent most of her days meditating and crystal gazing, and her nights stargazing. She was a couple years older than them.

"Hey Kait. Sally said she needed to talk to you. Sounded important."

"Thanks."

Kaitlyn said and headed straight out the open door and down the two flights of stairs to the study.

From the outside the house didn't look very big - it looked normal - white picket fence, pick-up truck in the garage, flowers lined the path...but from the inside magic worked. The girls lived on the hidden second floor with the parents room, the younger children's play area and a huge bathroom.

The first floor housed the boys room, the older kids social room and yet another bathroom and on the ground floor was a lounge, kitchen, huge dining room and a huge study, not to mention the garage.

Finally, down in the basement, was Kaitlyn's favourite room. It reminded her of the dungeons back at Hogwarts and smelled exactly the same. She'd come down here to brew potions whenever she needed to get her mind off other things.

Kaitlyn entered the study and was shocked when she saw Professor Dumbledore's head in the fireplace and Sally and Dave chatting to him excitedly. They all turned to look at her as she closed the door. She took a couple of steps and looked at them.

"What's going on?"

She asked confused. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled a moment.

"Lord Voldemort has been vanquished."

He announced. Kaitlyn's eyes opened in amazement and she looked to Sally and Dave who also had beaming smiles on their faces.

"Really?"

Dumbledore nodded. Kaitlyn couldn't believe it. She'd expected them to take so much longer, maybe even years to get rid of him.

"How?"

"Amazingly, it was a young child of the name Harry Potter."

"That child's going to be legendary."

Dave replied.

"He certainly is."

Dumbledore agreed.

"Woah - wait a minute!!!" Kaitlyn butted in. "A child? How? And do you mean Harry, as in that um...marauder guy's kid?"

"That I do. He was James' and Lily's child."

"Was?"

Kait didn't like the use of past tense.

"I'm afraid to say that James and Lily were killed trying to protect Harry from Voldemort."

Kaitlyn looked down.

"Poor kid. To lose your parents at such a young age. He won't even remember them."

The news seemed to bring back feelings she'd had and she took a deep breath.

"So if his parents died saving him, how did he survive?"

"No-one knows for sure but something happened when Voldemort tried to kill him, the spell backfired onto Voldemort, left Harry with a scar but other than that he was unharmed."

"The boy who lived..."

She replied thinking to herself.

"And I'm afraid I have some bad news as well."

Dumbledore said humbly. Kaitlyn looked up. She didn't know what the bad news could be.

"What news?" She asked scared. "Has someone else died? Someone I know?"

"Their not dead, although it might have been better if they had have died."

"Who? (pause) Tell me!"

"When Voldemort was overcome a few of his death eaters were angered and went after some aurors. They captured Alice and Frank."

Kaitlyn's mouth opened and her eyes started to well.

"They were tortured for answers about Voldemort...until they went mad."

Kaitlyn slumped into a nearby seat, unable to take in the news.

"Is there any chance they'll recover?"

She questioned, once she'd gotten her voice back.

"They're at St. Mungo's but unfortunately I'm not sure they'll ever be the people they used to be."

Kaitlyn closed her eyes, trying to fight back the tears for later.

"And Neville?"

"His grandmother's going to be looking after him."

Kaitlyn nodded slowly. She'd met the grandmother once and liked her - she was very upfront and you knew where you stood with her, Neville would be well looked after.

"Did you catch who did this?"

"We did. They'll be going to Azkaban as soon as they've had their hearing."

Kaitlyn nodded, glad that justice would be served. Dumbledore smiled at her, trying to get onto a better subject.

"Which means that you can come home. Voldemort's gone, as is the danger."

Kaitlyn looked down, nodding, but didn't seem that happy about the news. Sally put a hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong? We thought you'd be happy to be going home."

"Kaitlyn?"

Dumbledore questioned. Kaitlyn looked up at him.

"There's nothing there for me now. If I'd have gone back Alice said I could live with her but I can't do that now. Where would I stay? At least here I've got somewhere to come back to...and I like it here. I've made new friends, I've met people I'll be going to school with... Over there...there's just too many memories. I'm sorry Professor."

"Don't be sorry, Kaitlyn. You have nothing to be sorry for. You can stay wherever you want, wherever you're happy."

Kaitlyn turned and looked at Sally and Dave.

"I can stay here, can't I?"

She asked hopefully. Sally smiled.

"Of course you can. This will always be your home if you want it to be. We'd love to have you stay."

Kaitlyn smiled, and turned back to the fire.

"Thank you for everything Professor Dumbledore. I can stay in touch with you, right?"

"You need not ask that. I'll always be keeping an eye on you, making sure you're happy where you are."

Kaitlyn nodded a thanks.

"And can you say thanks to Professor Snape for me. He taught me so much. Tell him he was my favourite teacher - I think he needs to here it from someone."

Dumbledore laughed.

"You know you'll be welcome back over here to visit at any time don't you."

"I know. But right now I don't think I'm ready to see home yet. Oh - could you um...sell the house for me? I won't be needing it anymore."

"If you're sure...?"

"I'm sure."

Dumbledore nodded, not planning on selling the place at all. He'd just rent it out because he knew she'd regret it later if she sold it.

*****

That was it. That was me starting all over again. I made a choice. And for the most part I think it was the right one.

Sally and Dave were brilliant. I felt like I belonged there and it was like we were one huge family. I'd always wanted a brother or sister and I suddenly had five or six depending on if they found parents to adopt them. Mostly the young ones or the ones who wanted to be adopted. I liked it there, as did Jasmina and Maia. Josh, Matthew and Tariq stayed there permanently but a lot of the younger ones used to come and go.

Salem was completely different from Hogwarts in style and teaching but we were learning the same things. In fact I was ahead of a lot of them when we entered the second year.

Socially it was completely different as well. Everyone had already made their friends in the first year and were all grouped up. I ended up in the same house as Jasmina but she was one of the popular ones - like I'd been - but I found I didn't care for her and her friends company. I don't know...I guess over in America social circles are different. Being popular over there wasn't the same thing as it was over in Britain. At Hogwarts I was popular because I befriended everyone and didn't really have any enemies. In America being popular meant more like being cool, wearing the right clothes, the right hair style, the right hair colour, and not necessary being liked by everyone but more like being awed by everyone. I didn't want that. I made a small circle of friends in my new house - Mitexi. The symbol was the sacred moon. The other symbols were the sun, stars, and Earth. But I would always be a Ravenclaw first and foremost. Actually Mitexi seemed to be the equivalent of Ravenclaw in many ways.

Anyway, my friends. There was four of us - Chenoa, Patrick, Chris and myself. Chenoa and Patrick were pretty much childhood sweethearts from the get go - they'd been neighbours since they were three. Chris and I were just good friends that got thrown together to make up the double date thing.

We all worked hard and had a lot of good laughs, never got into trouble at school. A lot of the other kids used to get picked on by the popular lot but we never got any flack from them for not being 'cool' - Jasmina saw to that, we were more like sisters than friends and we looked out for each other.

My confidence was never what it used to be though. I was the quieter, harder working one that my friends would go to if they ever needed to talk. Chris was the prankster and would always make you laugh when you were down, Patrick was the sensual, caring guy who would have protected us if we ever needed it, and Chenoa was the sensitive, slightly shy girl who was good at the subjects I was bad at. We used to help each other and I could talk to her about anything. She was my best friend. She still is.

The only time I guess I had my old confidence back was in Defence Against The Dark Arts lessons or when I was behind a cauldron. I knew exactly what I was doing and was never worried about screwing it up so I guess it gave me that confidence. I'm sad to say though, that Potions wasn't ever the same without Snape leering around the room, quietly intimidating everyone. We had this small, timid lady who was excellent at potions but not very good at teaching. I miss all my old teachers actually. Our transfiguration teacher couldn't transfigure like old McGonagall, I was usually the one she got to demonstrate that which she seemed to love. Anyway, I'd write to them and all my old friends regularly and kept a few of the closer ones for quite a few years until I lost contact. I never lost contact with Professor Dumbledore though.

One of the strange things about spending 16 years in America was that I never picked up the accent. My British tones were always obvious even after spending all that time at Salem with all those different American drawls; I suppose I was just English by the grace of God and nothing was going to change that.

After school was when I really got my confidence back. I decided to travel and spent half a year journeying through numerous states, seeing the sites, getting odd jobs here and there for some extra money. Money was never a problem - my parents had left me all of their savings and it was still going strong.

Once I got back I got myself a job at the Department of Inventions, got myself a rather muggle looking bungalow with a nice big basement, quite near to Chenoa's and Patrick's place, and my old home. Chenoa and Patrick had gotten married just two months after school finished and were expecting their first child already. I was so pleased for them.

In my spare time I wrote papers on potions, brewed harder potions for a local wizarding store and spent most weekends in the basement, out with my friends if they were free, or back at home with Sally and Dave.

My life went along like this for pretty much most of the 10 years after school. I dated regularly but I wasn't really looking for anything serious. I went out flying about twice a week to spread my wings, and worked my way slowly up the ranks coming up with new and improved potions.

It was a simple life, and it worked for me. But this was the point, 10 years after school, that it got complicated again.

I'd just turned 27 and Voldemort had been back for a year. Despite this I'd managed to live my life as normal. Dumbledore had been checking up on me more regularly but as they'd found a way to protect the necklace there was no way that Voldemort could get to it, and so far there was no sign of him or his death-eaters near here.

*****

Dave looked up from his desk in the study to see Dumbledore's head in the fireplace.

"Albus! Hello! Is something wrong?"

He asked, confused at seeing Dumbledore there. He usually went to Kaitlyn's home.

"Unfortunately yes. I tried to contact Kaitlyn just now but for some reason I couldn't get through."

Dave frowned.

"Hang on, I'll give her a ring."

Dave picked up the phone, pressing the speed dial for Kaitlyn's number. By the sixth ring Dumbledore could see the worry on Dave's face - then suddenly someone must have picked up.

"Kaitlyn! Are you okay?"

Dumbledore listened to the one sided conversation.

"No. It's just that Professor Dumbledore tried to get through and couldn't."

Another pause as Kaitlyn spoke. Then Dumbledore saw the relief spread over Dave's face.

"Oh."

He laughed in relief and pulled the phone from his ear, resting it on his shoulder.

"She's getting her fireplace refurbished so no-one can get through at the moment."

"Ahh." Dumbledore acknowledged. "That would explain it. Can you tell her I just came to wish her a happy birthday and to make sure she was doing okay."

Dave nodded and relayed this to Kaitlyn.

"She says thank you and that she's doing just fine."

Dumbledore nodded.

"Then, I'll not take up anymore of your time. Good day, Dave. Wish Sally well for me."

"Dumbledore."

He acknowledged and watched as Dumbledore's head disappeared, then spoke back to Kaitlyn.

"We're having a reunion barbeque in a fortnight - you'll be coming right?"

"Of course! Wouldn't miss it! You need any help organising?"

"No that's okay - we've got it covered. Thanks. Well, I'll see you then, then!! Keep safe."

*****

Inside Kaitlyn's apartment, Kaitlyn's voice was heard saying goodbye, then the phone clicked back in it's hanger on the kitchen unit. Except that it wasn't Kaitlyn's hand putting it back. It was a gloved hand, a man's hand. He was dressed all in black and a mask was covering his head and face. He looked down to the floor of the kitchen.

"I'm afraid you'll be missing that barbeque."

He said in her voice, then brought his wand up to his throat and muttered the counter charm to return his voice back to normal. Kaitlyn looked up from the floor, bound and gagged, her eyes wide with fear. She couldn't struggle or even transfigure because he'd charmed the ropes. She was trapped and there was nothing she could do.

Well? How was it? Long chapters I know but they would have been tiny if I had split it in half. I like to give you something to think about. Any comments? Anyone like to hazard a guess as to who she was in bed with at the beginning? Please review.