Chapter 1
Reeow, reeeeeoooow? Soft fur brushed against her chin, and a cold nose rubbed up against her cheek as an exhausted teenage girl opened her heavy eyelids to see the bright blue eyes of a Siamese cat in her face. She chuckled, "Well, hello there, Ronan. Nothing like waking up to you in the morning, huh?"
He replied with another rub against her cheek, and an affectionate nip on her nose. She stroked his soft gray coat while he purred contentedly.
The early rays of the sun crept through her shaded windows, giving the room an orange glow of warmth while the smell of pancakes and sizzling bacon wafted slowly underneath the bedroom door. She yawned and crawled deeper into her comforter trying desperately not to fall into the welcoming arms of sleep, but this, of course, failed.
There was a soft knock at the door. "Kelly? Breakfast is ready... Don't want to be late for your special day!"
She stirred at the sound of her mother's voice. She had gotten only a few extra minutes of sleep, but she was thankful enough. Kelly crawled out of her bed and dragged herself down the stairs and into the kitchen.
Her mother was sitting on a wooden stool next to the bar watching the early morning news on the television. On top of the TV was a stack of spell books on cooking.
"Morning, hun. Have a good sleep?" Her mother conjured up a stool for Kelly to sit on.
Kelly nodded and sat down on the stool and began eating her breakfast.
"Happy Birthday, sweetheart." Today was July 7th, her 15th birthday. "Here, I have something for you." Her mother pulled out a tiny gold box from her pocket. "Open it!"
Kelly took the box, and pulled off the cardboard lid. Inside was a delicate silver bracelet decorated with intricate designs and tiny amethysts. It was beautiful.
"Thanks, Mom. It's beautiful." She slipped the fragile bracelet onto her wrist.
"It was mine when I was your age. A good friend of mine gave it to me. I would still wear it, but my wrist is too big." Her mother took her eyes from the bracelet and looked back up at Kelly. "Take good care of it, okay?"
Kelly smiled, "Yes, of course I will."
"So what do you want to do for you birthday?"
Kelly shrugged, "I don't know... Can we go somewhere?"
Her mother let out a mischievous smile. "Let's go back to England. I miss it so very much, and I know you'd love it," her mother said. Kelly's mother was British, but they moved to the states when she was a baby.
Kelly smiled back and replied, "That sounds great."
"I'll check on it while you're at school."
"Cool!" She exclaimed with delight.
She stood up and climbed back up the stairs to get ready for her last day of summer school at the Salem Witches Institute, an all girls school of witchcraft. She hadn't failed any courses; she was just taking extra ones to get ahead next year. Today she was having her final in Alchemy, with Professor Ceridian, so she could be in the more advanced Alchemy class next year. But that wasn't what she was interested in. Transfiguration was her specialty. She was working secretly on becoming an animagus, a white-gold cat. She was successful once, but it took a great amount of concentration and patience, and it required a lot of energy.
Kelly reached her bathroom and stared into the mirror, her lavender eyes looking back at her. This was a trait passed down in her family. Everyone had lavender eyes, except her grandfather, whom her mother never spoke of. Although her mother had long, straight black hair, Kelly had a fair head, which she had inherited from the father she had never known. All she knew was his name--William Englewood.
Her reflection smiled and Kelly left humming a tune she had always loved.
"The trees may tumble, the mountains may crumble, but I'll always be there to hold you..."
Kelly changed into her favorite robe, one deep violet in color that brought out her eyes. She grabbed her tote bag with her wand, lunch money, and a few books and quills, but a sudden urge to try once more to transform into her animagus form took over. She smiled and sat her bag on the door handle, and walked into the middle of the room. She stood straight up and closed her eyes, concentrating on her form. Nothing happened. She tried again, going deeper into meditation, with her animagus form in her mind's eye. Then, she suddenly felt lighter, and the room seemed to grow. A tail flicked. Kelly opened her oval lavender eyes to find herself in cat form. She twitched her whiskers, strolled out the door, and weightlessly pranced down the stairs.
Kelly had never shown her mother her transfigured form, even though she herself was an animagus--a raven, though she was registered, and Kelly was not. This is time to do it, though, Kelly thought, as she trotted into the kitchen and leaped into her mother's lap.
"Oh my... Kelly?" She started laughing. "I can't believe it! I'm so proud of you!"
Kelly purred in reply as her mother laughed and scratched behind her ears.
Suddenly the doorbell rang, echoing throughout the house.
Her mother looked up and went to answer the call. Kelly felt a strike in her heart. There was something wrong. She began to concentrate on her human form to stop her mother from answering the door. Kelly's intuition was never wrong, and she had a bit of a reputation for it.
Her form didn't come. What was she going to do? Kelly began to run to her mother's feet, meowing as she went, but it was too late; she was unlocking the door.
"Yes?" Her mother said, but gasped a second later at the man in the doorway.
Kelly just got a glimpse of the visitor. He was tall, fair-haired, and had a cruel look upon his face.
Kelly's mother seized her wand and shouted very suddenly, "Immobulus!" This charm caused the opponent to freeze. Her mother turned around and shouted at her, "Kelly! Run! Take the floo powder and go to Diagon Alley! Look for a man called Arnold Weasley. Run! Run now! Don't look back!" Her face was stricken with immeasurable fear.
Kelly paused, still in her cat form. Oh no, she thought. She took her mother's instructions and bolted up the stairs. This time Kelly changed back into her usual human form without having to think. She grabbed her tote bag, and motioned Ronan to follow her into her mother's bedroom where a pot of floo powder was sitting by the fireplace. Then shouts rang from downstairs.
"No! Please don't! You can't have her! GO KELLY! LEAVE NOW!" A scream was heard from downstairs. And then a booming voice, "Avada Kedavra!"
Kelly felt her breath catch in her throat, and she wasn't able to breathe. Avada Kedavra was an unforgivable curse; the worst of all. But she then heard heavy steps coming up the staircase. Kelly was glued to her spot, with her eyes wide open, and her heart pounding through her ears. Oh my God, oh my God, was all she could think. Ronan ran to her feet and gave a shrill reeeeOOOWWWW!!!
The steps were near the top of the stairs. Kelly finally lifted her feet and took the whole pot of floo powder and picked up Ronan and held him closely to her chest, and shouted loud and clear, "Diagon Alley!"
The last thing Kelly saw was the man at the doorway with a look of triumph upon his face, as tears streamed down her own.
~~~
Reow?
Kelly was hoping it was a dream, just a bad dream. It would all go away as soon as she opened her eyes. Reeeeoow? There's Ronan, he's waking me up. She opened her burning eyes and she found that she was in a street filled with witches and wizards. She was standing in Diagon Alley.
Her head and heart were still pounding, and she felt like she was getting dizzy. Ronan nudged her chin. She looked down at him with a grave face, and he stared back at her with his brilliant blue eyes as if they were asking each other the same question: What's just happened? What now? Kelly finally lifted her head to take a long, hard look around this place. Diagon Alley. And a man called... Arnold? She finally placed Ronan on the ground and they walked to a nearby bench and sat down. What were they to do now? She stared hopelessly around. Maybe she would recognize someone, but that was impossible. She looked down at her bracelet and fingered its little amethysts. Her heart caught again. Maybe she could go back and help her mother, but it would be of no use.
Tears started to cascade down her cheeks again. Ronan curled up in her lap and purred as if he were trying to comfort her. Her mother was just murdered. Her head was filled with a dull buzzing. No, no, it can't be true. It can't.
Kelly reached into her bag to see what she had brought. Her wand, a couple spell books, and some Wizard coins: five galleons, twelve Knuts, and three Sickles. She had no relatives, except for her grandfather, whom she knew nothing about, not even his name. And who was that person she was supposed to find, Arnold Wesley? Arnold Wisely? She couldn't remember.
She had to do something. She had to start somewhere. Kelly stood up, putting Ronan on the ground, and they walked aimlessly down the street. Her head was still buzzing and she felt dizzy. No, no, no... She led herself into a nearby restaurant called "The Banshee's Brewery."
The interior was cheerful and exciting, all she didn't want. Witches and Wizards of all sorts were seated at the tables laughing and telling jokes. In one corner, there was a Karaoke stage, and a fairly plump witch was singing a fast beated song by The Weird Sisters, one of Kelly's favorite groups in the Wizarding world. Girls and boys her age were dancing on the brightly tiled floor, and old witches and wizards were playing cards in another corner. It was obviously a popular place. Kelly silently walked over to an empty booth and sat herself down, putting her head into her hands, wondering what to do. Ronan crawled into her lap, purring as if trying to comfort her. That did very little.
She heard someone clear her throat above her head. A man with bright red hair and a long face was looming over her.
"Hello! What can I do for you?" He said with a cheerful smile, revealing many white teeth. His smile faded when he saw her tear-stained face.
"Oh, feeling a bit down? Here, you can have a drink on me. Pumpkin juice sound good?"
Kelly smiled and nodded.
"Here you are, miss," he said gently, resting the glass on the table next to her hand. His eyes rested on her bracelet, and he looked back up at her. "That's a lovely bracelet you have there. Do tell me where you got it?"
Kelly stared at the bracelet trying not to cry again. She choked on a sob, and replied, "My--my mother gave it to me. For my birthday. Today. She said a friend had given it to her when she was my age." A couple small tears left her eyes.
The man frowned, and said, "Is your mother, by a chance, Anna Englewood?"
"Yes," she felt tears rushing again, "she--she was my mother."
The man sat down across from her and stared into her face. "Do you need to talk about something? I know you don't know me, but my name is Arnold Weasley. I was a good friend of your mother's at Hogwarts," he said with a warm smile.
Kelly took a deep breath. She didn't want to think about it. Scared of a flash flood, she took hold of a napkin. "Well, today is my birthday, and I was downstairs with my mother when the doorbell rang. A man, he had light blond hair like mine, he walked in, and mother seemed to know who he was, and set a time pause on him, and told me to take the floo powder and come here to Diagon Alley," she looked up at him, "she told me to look for a man named Arnold Weasley. You." She paused and took another deep breath, "I ran upstairs and went to get the floo powder, when I heard her saying 'No! Don't take her!' downstairs, and my mother screaming," she had to stop; Ronan sat up and looked up into her eyes, reassuring her. A teardrop fell onto his head. "The man yelled.the--the man said Avada Kedavra. He murdered her."
Arnold looked as if he didn't know what to say. He sat there and stared into Kelly's eyes. "I am beyond words, and I am so sorry." He truly looked it. "Bugger, that's horrible."
Kelly nodded solemnly. "I don't know what to do. I haven't any relatives that I know of, and I can't go back. I--I don't know what to do."
Arnold heaved a sigh, "Well, I would let you stay with my wife and me, but we haven't any room in our little flat, but I know who would be glad to take you in for the time being. If you want, I could take you to their house. They're wonderful people, my brother Arthur, and his wife. I'm sure the ministry could help you out in the meantime."
Kelly still couldn't believe her mother was murdered, and she was being offered to stay with another family. She had nowhere else to go. "Okay, then. I guess that would be all right. I don't want to go back. I can't."
Arnold smiled, "Well, then. I have another hour of work until the mid-day break but I'll send an owl to Arthur's wife and tell her about you. I positively sure they'll take you in for as long as needed until everything can be worked out."
"Arnold! Please get back to work!" A short, stout wizard called from the back. Arnold waved back to him.
"Well, I'd better be off. You just sit tight; I'll bring out a tuna sandwich. You like those, right? Your mother loved them." His hand rested on his shoulder as Kelly nodded.
Kelly crossed her arms and rested her head, enclosing her face in darkness. Tears cascaded from her face and onto the table. She heard Arnold leave a plate on the table, but he said nothing and Kelly appreciated that.
She sat, watching everything replay in her head. The man's face, her mother's scream, her feeling before the door was answered.
Forty-five minutes passed when Kelly saw three pairs of feet stop by her chair. She looked up.
"Hullo," said one boy with light brown hair and a round face. "Are you from around here? We've never seen you before."
Kelly shook her head, wiping her face of her tears, "No, I'm from Massachusetts--in the States, but I was born here in London."
"Oh, that's cool. Are you on a holiday or something?" said a girl with short black hair and deep brown eyes covered with too much make-up.
"Yes, I suppose," Kelly replied, not too sure of what to say. "Do you all live here?"
"Yes--well, I live in Bath, and she's from Liverpool, but we're meeting Caleb here for a few weeks before school starts again. We're all from Hogwarts, we're going to be 4th years. What year are you?"
"Um, I'm going to be a 5th year back at Salem Witches Institute. You go to Hogwarts?" Kelly knew that her mother had attended Hogwarts growing up. "What's it like there?"
"Well, I think it's really cool, except for Filch and Snape." All three of them had a look on their faces as if they just smelled a fresh pile of dog waste.
"Snape?"
"He's the Potions professor, and the head of Slytherin. Nobody likes him; he's really mean and unfair. And he really needs to take a bath," they all giggled.
Kelly smiled. "Is 'Slytherin' one of your houses?" She was in the Mernott house at the Salem Witches Institute.
"Yeah, Slytherin's the worst! They say You-Know-Who was in that house. We're in Hufflepuff, except for Caleb; he's in Gryffindor," said the girl. "Oh, by the way, I'm Serena, that's Ryan," she pointed to the boy with the light brown hair, "and that's Caleb." The other boy with black hair and bright blue eyes, almost like Ronan's.
"It's nice to meet you," Kelly said.
Caleb pointed to Ronan, "Is that your cat?"
Ronan stood up and jumped onto the table. Reeeeeow?
"Yes, that's Ronan."
"He's cool," said Serena as she scratched the underside of his chin.
Arnold walked over to Kelly. "I just got the owl back from Mrs. Weasley, and she'd be glad to take care of you for as long as needed. Would you like to leave now?"
"Sure..." Kelly stood up took a hold of her bag, and motioned Ronan to follow them. She bade Caleb, Ryan, and Serena farewell as she and Arnold walked into the back of the restaurant to a fireplace and a pot of floo powder.
"We would Apperate, but I'm guessing you can't yet, so we'll go by floo powder. I'll go first. Just follow my lead."
He climbed into the fireplace and yelled, "The Burrow!"
And so she followed suit.
~~~
Kelly opened her eyes and stepped out of the fireplace finding that she was in a small living room. To her left was a tiny kitchen, cluttered with dishes and vegetables and Gilderoy Lockhart books on every matter, (the same ones her mother had in their kitchen). On her right was a very narrow stairway leading upstairs. In front of her were two very battered couches facing a small card table. Behind that was a screen door with a large backyard with little gnomes sneaking behind peony bushes. She was often given he chore of ridding her very small backyard of them once every two weeks back at home.
"Oh my goodness. Well, Arnold, I haven't had a chance to tell the children!" Whispered a female voice.
"Molly, that's fine for now." Arnold sighed. "Don't worry yourself. The Ministry has been reached with the information of the incident."
"But Arnold-" she began, but paused. "That's fine. She can stay as long as needed. What shall I say to the family? Does Arthur know?"
"Yes, he does. And Molly, thank you. She's been through quite an ordeal."
"Yes. Well, thank you for bringing her, Arnold. I--I suppose the poor dear shall go to Hogwarts?"
"That may be so, Molly." Arnold peered around the corner, meeting Kelly's eyes. "Ah, here she is," he said with a comforting smile.
Kelly walked into the room. "Hello."
Arnold turned to the woman opposite him. She was a short, plump woman with fiery red hair. "Well, I'll be off then. Barry won't want me off work long. My best wishes to the family, and Kelly, this is Mrs. Weasley. You'll be fine here, don't worry." He left with a poof as he Disapparated.
Mrs. Weasley smiled and turned to Kelly.
"I know this must be very awkward and hard for you, dear, but we will make you feel at home while my husband will try to sort out matters at the Ministry. He works there, you know."
Kelly smiled weakly.
"I have seven children; four are in my house at this time. I have a young daughter, Ginny, who is about a year younger than you, You will be staying in her room for the meantime. My son, Ron, is your age. Fred and George are twins, and they are seventeen. They are kind, young gentlemen, but I advise that you do not accept any sweets from them. They are quite the jokers. If you need anything, anything at all, do not hesitate to ask, my dear.
"Arnold has told me about your matter, and I am incredibly sorry. I knew your mother at Hogwarts; I was a few years older. She was a wonderful person."
Kelly nodded, "Thank you for everything, Mrs. Weasley. I hope not to be a bother. I--I hope things will work out..." Although she wasn't sure of what would or could happen.
Mrs. Weasley walked up to Kelly and put her hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes, "Oh, my dear, I understand your sudden grief. We'll do our best to cheer you up, I suspect Fred and George will do their part." She closed her into a tight hug, and Kelly felt a tear stream down her cheek. Mrs. Weasley wiped it away, and smiled. "Would you like to take your things upstairs? You can meet my children. I'm sure they'll be delighted to see you; they've been so bored lately. Especially Ron, he's been waiting for his friend Harry to write him back all summer. I suspect they'll try to save the poor child again from those wretched Muggles," she added with a chuckle, though Kelly had no idea what she was talking about.
"Oh, dear," she sighed. "I haven't told any of the children of your matter. Would you like me to tell them why you're here? Do you need me to tell them not to ask? What would you like?"
Kelly didn't know how to answer. If she was imposing into this family's lives, wouldn't they feel better knowing? But then, she didn't feel like reliving what had happened.
"Uh, well." She licked her lips. "I suppose, well, I don't know, really." This felt very awkward. "I supposed I could just tell them on my own." Why did she say that?
"Okay then, dear. Shall we?"
They headed up the narrow stairway, leading up to two floors or so Kelly counted. At the third, they stepped off to a small, crooked wooden door. Mrs. Weasley knocked twice, and a small voice answered.
"Yes?"
"Ginny dear, our guest has arrived. Is your room cleaned and is the other bed made yet?"
"Er--almost, Mum."
"Then I hope we can at least see the floor; we're coming in."
Mrs. Weasley opened the door and inside was an undersized, but comfortable room, filled with moving posters of unicorns and fairies. Atop her purple minuscule bed was a photo of Harry Potter. Kelly knew the Boy-Who-Lived was living somewhere in England, and he went to Hogwarts. At the Salem Witches Institute, she knew a group of younger girls who fancied him. She felt sorry for the poor boy, being famous for living, when the Dark Lord murdered his parents.
A small girl, maybe a year younger, with the same long wavy red hair her mother owned was standing by the bed, holding a few books as if in the middle of putting them away. She smiled at Kelly.
"Hi, I'm Ginny."
Kelly smiled back, "I'm Kelly. Nice to meet you."
Ginny looked down at Ronan, "Ooooh, what a pretty cat! I love cats! What's his name?"
"Ronan; he's a Siamese cat." Ginny dropped the books on her bed, and kneeled beside Ronan, petting him. He purred at the attention.
"Well, I'll leave you girls to get acquainted. I'll be making a snack downstairs; it should be ready soon. If you need anything, Kelly, let Ginny or me know at once," and with that, she left.
Ginny stood up, "Here's your bed," she pointed at the sofa bed across from her's. It looked very comfortable.
Kelly walked over to it, dropping her bag onto it, when she realized she had no clothes, or personal belongings with her.
"Oh, I--I don't have any clothes with me, they're at my house, and I can't go back for a little while, I think."
"Oh, well, you can barrow mine until you can get them. And if you have some money on you, I think we're going to Diagon Alley later in the afternoon; Mother has to take Ron to get a gift for Harry's birthday," Ginny's cheeks went slightly red.
"Okay, thanks." Kelly sat on the bed and stared out the window while Ginny finished putting her books away.
Suddenly someone knocked on the door, making Kelly jump.
"Ginny, give me back my chess set. Me and George are going to play," said a cracking male voice.
He opened the door before Ginny could answer.
A boy Kelly's age who was very tall, and had the same red hair and lots of freckles looked over at her, "Uh, who are you?"
"I'm Kelly..."
"That's Ron, my idiot brother," Ginny said.
"Shut up, half-pint." He turned to Kelly, "So what are you doing here?"
"Oh, Ron, don't you have any manners?" Ginny said with an obvious glare.
"It's okay, I suppose I should tell you," Kelly sighed, getting ready to tell it over again, hoping she wouldn't start crying. Ron and Ginny sat there waiting for an answer, so she told them everything, (except that she was an animagus). She seemed to be out of tears, though both Ginny and Ron looked like they might need some tissues.
"That's horrid. Wow, I am so sorry, Kelly," Ginny whispered solemnly.
"Yeah, on your birthday, too. That's pretty bad. Well, you have a lot in common with Harry. You guys should get together and avenge You-Know-Who," encouraged Ron.
Ginny looked furious at Ron's insensitivity.
"Who's Harry? Your mother mentioned him."
"Oh, Harry. Harry Potter--he's my best friend," he said with a small note of pride. "Well, one of them. Hermione Granger is my other best friend," he added.
Kelly felt her jaw drop and her eyes widen, "Harry Potter? Here? You know him? Wow."
Ron laughed, "Yeah, he seems to have that effect on people. I've been trying to get him to stay here all summer, but he hasn't answered any of the owls that I've sent him. We'll probably rescue him again. Too bad Dad doesn't have the Anglia anymore."
"Your mother mentioned rescuing him from 'the Muggles'."
"Yeah, we end up doing that every year; it's almost a tradition. In our second year, we took my Dad's flying car to get him, and almost ended up getting expelled. In third year, Harry ended up in Diagon Alley after blowing up his aunt, and we took him to our house, and last year, we went to the Quidditch Finals, and his aunt and uncle weren't going to let him, so we went to get him. I suppose we'll be doing it again if I don't get owled back soon."
"I'd love to meet him," Kelly said.
Ginny rolled her eyes, "Anyway, you were getting your chess set, Ron?"
"Oh yeah. Do you guys want to play teams with us?"
Ginny shook her head, "I can't. I have to finish cleaning my room, and Mum is making me finish my Potions essay on the Saspearit Weed thingy."
"Okay, then. I'll see if Fred wants to play, but he's probably sleeping," he looked over to Kelly, "Are you going to play at least?"
Kelly smiled, needing something else to concentrate on, "Yeah, sure."
Ron grabbed the chess set, and they headed a floor down to Fred and George's room. Waking up his brother, who agreed to play.
An older boy with the same Weasley appearance was sitting on the couch twirling his wand boredly between his fingers. It was most likely George, one of the twins. He looked up at Kelly, walked over to her, and smiled.
"Hello! You must be Kelly! Welcome to our humble home! I am Forge." He said, sounding very official, outstretching his hand.
Ron s******ed, "I thought we agreed. No more Percy, or shall I say Weatherby?" Ron rolled his eyes, "Oh, and his name's George."
Kelly shook his hand and suddenly felt like she was being tickled all over.
"Tickling charm--in a powder! My invention," he said while Kelly held her sides laughing and unable to breathe.
"Our invention," said another boy who must have been George's twin, looking amused that it worked. He looked over at Kelly, "Hello. I'm Gred," and he also held out a hand, but Kelly laughed and back away.
"Oh, yes, our invention. But it was my idea. He just made it, " said George, pointing over his shoulder at Fred.
The laughing finally weared off, and Kelly was able to stand fully again. The twins smiled, content that their creation had worked successfully.
"Thanks, I needed that," Kelly said with a smile.
"No problem. More?"
"Haha, no thanks.I think I've had enough."
"So we were going to play chess?" said Fred.
The four of them walked over to the couches and sat the chessboard on the table.
Fred and George teamed up as Ron and Kelly played together.
Far into the game, Fred finally asked, "I don't mean to be rude, but may I ask why you're staying at our house?"
Kelly really didn't want to go through her story again, and Ron seemed to catch on.
"Um, I'll tell you guys later."
Awhile later, Ron and Kelly had checkmated Fred and George.
"Bugger! You guys are good!" exclaimed Fred. Ron shrugged, and Kelly smiled and thanked them.
"Well, I taught Ron all he knows," said George.
"Yeah, too bad I'm better, George," laughed Ron.
Mrs. Weasley came into the room, "Your snack is ready! Grilled cheese sandwiches and chips! Ron, would you please get Ginny and tell her lunch is being served?"
Ron nodded and headed upstairs.
"We'll eat outside, it's a nice day. Would you all be dears and set the table?"
Mrs. Weasley was right; it was beautiful outside. The sun was out and the flowers in the gardens in the Weasley's back yard were in full bloom. It was obvious Mrs. Weasley set a charm on her plants because they were at least twice their average size, but that just attracted more bees. She walked towards the large table and set the napkins for six. Soon everyone except for Ron was getting ready to be seated, and then he came walking out onto the patio holding a piece of parchment. He had his mouth slightly hanging.
"What is it?" said Ginny.
Ron looked at everyone, as if sizing them up. Then he finally said, "Guess what guys, Harry's in trouble again," shaking his head with an incredulous expression. "Big time."
Reeow, reeeeeoooow? Soft fur brushed against her chin, and a cold nose rubbed up against her cheek as an exhausted teenage girl opened her heavy eyelids to see the bright blue eyes of a Siamese cat in her face. She chuckled, "Well, hello there, Ronan. Nothing like waking up to you in the morning, huh?"
He replied with another rub against her cheek, and an affectionate nip on her nose. She stroked his soft gray coat while he purred contentedly.
The early rays of the sun crept through her shaded windows, giving the room an orange glow of warmth while the smell of pancakes and sizzling bacon wafted slowly underneath the bedroom door. She yawned and crawled deeper into her comforter trying desperately not to fall into the welcoming arms of sleep, but this, of course, failed.
There was a soft knock at the door. "Kelly? Breakfast is ready... Don't want to be late for your special day!"
She stirred at the sound of her mother's voice. She had gotten only a few extra minutes of sleep, but she was thankful enough. Kelly crawled out of her bed and dragged herself down the stairs and into the kitchen.
Her mother was sitting on a wooden stool next to the bar watching the early morning news on the television. On top of the TV was a stack of spell books on cooking.
"Morning, hun. Have a good sleep?" Her mother conjured up a stool for Kelly to sit on.
Kelly nodded and sat down on the stool and began eating her breakfast.
"Happy Birthday, sweetheart." Today was July 7th, her 15th birthday. "Here, I have something for you." Her mother pulled out a tiny gold box from her pocket. "Open it!"
Kelly took the box, and pulled off the cardboard lid. Inside was a delicate silver bracelet decorated with intricate designs and tiny amethysts. It was beautiful.
"Thanks, Mom. It's beautiful." She slipped the fragile bracelet onto her wrist.
"It was mine when I was your age. A good friend of mine gave it to me. I would still wear it, but my wrist is too big." Her mother took her eyes from the bracelet and looked back up at Kelly. "Take good care of it, okay?"
Kelly smiled, "Yes, of course I will."
"So what do you want to do for you birthday?"
Kelly shrugged, "I don't know... Can we go somewhere?"
Her mother let out a mischievous smile. "Let's go back to England. I miss it so very much, and I know you'd love it," her mother said. Kelly's mother was British, but they moved to the states when she was a baby.
Kelly smiled back and replied, "That sounds great."
"I'll check on it while you're at school."
"Cool!" She exclaimed with delight.
She stood up and climbed back up the stairs to get ready for her last day of summer school at the Salem Witches Institute, an all girls school of witchcraft. She hadn't failed any courses; she was just taking extra ones to get ahead next year. Today she was having her final in Alchemy, with Professor Ceridian, so she could be in the more advanced Alchemy class next year. But that wasn't what she was interested in. Transfiguration was her specialty. She was working secretly on becoming an animagus, a white-gold cat. She was successful once, but it took a great amount of concentration and patience, and it required a lot of energy.
Kelly reached her bathroom and stared into the mirror, her lavender eyes looking back at her. This was a trait passed down in her family. Everyone had lavender eyes, except her grandfather, whom her mother never spoke of. Although her mother had long, straight black hair, Kelly had a fair head, which she had inherited from the father she had never known. All she knew was his name--William Englewood.
Her reflection smiled and Kelly left humming a tune she had always loved.
"The trees may tumble, the mountains may crumble, but I'll always be there to hold you..."
Kelly changed into her favorite robe, one deep violet in color that brought out her eyes. She grabbed her tote bag with her wand, lunch money, and a few books and quills, but a sudden urge to try once more to transform into her animagus form took over. She smiled and sat her bag on the door handle, and walked into the middle of the room. She stood straight up and closed her eyes, concentrating on her form. Nothing happened. She tried again, going deeper into meditation, with her animagus form in her mind's eye. Then, she suddenly felt lighter, and the room seemed to grow. A tail flicked. Kelly opened her oval lavender eyes to find herself in cat form. She twitched her whiskers, strolled out the door, and weightlessly pranced down the stairs.
Kelly had never shown her mother her transfigured form, even though she herself was an animagus--a raven, though she was registered, and Kelly was not. This is time to do it, though, Kelly thought, as she trotted into the kitchen and leaped into her mother's lap.
"Oh my... Kelly?" She started laughing. "I can't believe it! I'm so proud of you!"
Kelly purred in reply as her mother laughed and scratched behind her ears.
Suddenly the doorbell rang, echoing throughout the house.
Her mother looked up and went to answer the call. Kelly felt a strike in her heart. There was something wrong. She began to concentrate on her human form to stop her mother from answering the door. Kelly's intuition was never wrong, and she had a bit of a reputation for it.
Her form didn't come. What was she going to do? Kelly began to run to her mother's feet, meowing as she went, but it was too late; she was unlocking the door.
"Yes?" Her mother said, but gasped a second later at the man in the doorway.
Kelly just got a glimpse of the visitor. He was tall, fair-haired, and had a cruel look upon his face.
Kelly's mother seized her wand and shouted very suddenly, "Immobulus!" This charm caused the opponent to freeze. Her mother turned around and shouted at her, "Kelly! Run! Take the floo powder and go to Diagon Alley! Look for a man called Arnold Weasley. Run! Run now! Don't look back!" Her face was stricken with immeasurable fear.
Kelly paused, still in her cat form. Oh no, she thought. She took her mother's instructions and bolted up the stairs. This time Kelly changed back into her usual human form without having to think. She grabbed her tote bag, and motioned Ronan to follow her into her mother's bedroom where a pot of floo powder was sitting by the fireplace. Then shouts rang from downstairs.
"No! Please don't! You can't have her! GO KELLY! LEAVE NOW!" A scream was heard from downstairs. And then a booming voice, "Avada Kedavra!"
Kelly felt her breath catch in her throat, and she wasn't able to breathe. Avada Kedavra was an unforgivable curse; the worst of all. But she then heard heavy steps coming up the staircase. Kelly was glued to her spot, with her eyes wide open, and her heart pounding through her ears. Oh my God, oh my God, was all she could think. Ronan ran to her feet and gave a shrill reeeeOOOWWWW!!!
The steps were near the top of the stairs. Kelly finally lifted her feet and took the whole pot of floo powder and picked up Ronan and held him closely to her chest, and shouted loud and clear, "Diagon Alley!"
The last thing Kelly saw was the man at the doorway with a look of triumph upon his face, as tears streamed down her own.
~~~
Reow?
Kelly was hoping it was a dream, just a bad dream. It would all go away as soon as she opened her eyes. Reeeeoow? There's Ronan, he's waking me up. She opened her burning eyes and she found that she was in a street filled with witches and wizards. She was standing in Diagon Alley.
Her head and heart were still pounding, and she felt like she was getting dizzy. Ronan nudged her chin. She looked down at him with a grave face, and he stared back at her with his brilliant blue eyes as if they were asking each other the same question: What's just happened? What now? Kelly finally lifted her head to take a long, hard look around this place. Diagon Alley. And a man called... Arnold? She finally placed Ronan on the ground and they walked to a nearby bench and sat down. What were they to do now? She stared hopelessly around. Maybe she would recognize someone, but that was impossible. She looked down at her bracelet and fingered its little amethysts. Her heart caught again. Maybe she could go back and help her mother, but it would be of no use.
Tears started to cascade down her cheeks again. Ronan curled up in her lap and purred as if he were trying to comfort her. Her mother was just murdered. Her head was filled with a dull buzzing. No, no, it can't be true. It can't.
Kelly reached into her bag to see what she had brought. Her wand, a couple spell books, and some Wizard coins: five galleons, twelve Knuts, and three Sickles. She had no relatives, except for her grandfather, whom she knew nothing about, not even his name. And who was that person she was supposed to find, Arnold Wesley? Arnold Wisely? She couldn't remember.
She had to do something. She had to start somewhere. Kelly stood up, putting Ronan on the ground, and they walked aimlessly down the street. Her head was still buzzing and she felt dizzy. No, no, no... She led herself into a nearby restaurant called "The Banshee's Brewery."
The interior was cheerful and exciting, all she didn't want. Witches and Wizards of all sorts were seated at the tables laughing and telling jokes. In one corner, there was a Karaoke stage, and a fairly plump witch was singing a fast beated song by The Weird Sisters, one of Kelly's favorite groups in the Wizarding world. Girls and boys her age were dancing on the brightly tiled floor, and old witches and wizards were playing cards in another corner. It was obviously a popular place. Kelly silently walked over to an empty booth and sat herself down, putting her head into her hands, wondering what to do. Ronan crawled into her lap, purring as if trying to comfort her. That did very little.
She heard someone clear her throat above her head. A man with bright red hair and a long face was looming over her.
"Hello! What can I do for you?" He said with a cheerful smile, revealing many white teeth. His smile faded when he saw her tear-stained face.
"Oh, feeling a bit down? Here, you can have a drink on me. Pumpkin juice sound good?"
Kelly smiled and nodded.
"Here you are, miss," he said gently, resting the glass on the table next to her hand. His eyes rested on her bracelet, and he looked back up at her. "That's a lovely bracelet you have there. Do tell me where you got it?"
Kelly stared at the bracelet trying not to cry again. She choked on a sob, and replied, "My--my mother gave it to me. For my birthday. Today. She said a friend had given it to her when she was my age." A couple small tears left her eyes.
The man frowned, and said, "Is your mother, by a chance, Anna Englewood?"
"Yes," she felt tears rushing again, "she--she was my mother."
The man sat down across from her and stared into her face. "Do you need to talk about something? I know you don't know me, but my name is Arnold Weasley. I was a good friend of your mother's at Hogwarts," he said with a warm smile.
Kelly took a deep breath. She didn't want to think about it. Scared of a flash flood, she took hold of a napkin. "Well, today is my birthday, and I was downstairs with my mother when the doorbell rang. A man, he had light blond hair like mine, he walked in, and mother seemed to know who he was, and set a time pause on him, and told me to take the floo powder and come here to Diagon Alley," she looked up at him, "she told me to look for a man named Arnold Weasley. You." She paused and took another deep breath, "I ran upstairs and went to get the floo powder, when I heard her saying 'No! Don't take her!' downstairs, and my mother screaming," she had to stop; Ronan sat up and looked up into her eyes, reassuring her. A teardrop fell onto his head. "The man yelled.the--the man said Avada Kedavra. He murdered her."
Arnold looked as if he didn't know what to say. He sat there and stared into Kelly's eyes. "I am beyond words, and I am so sorry." He truly looked it. "Bugger, that's horrible."
Kelly nodded solemnly. "I don't know what to do. I haven't any relatives that I know of, and I can't go back. I--I don't know what to do."
Arnold heaved a sigh, "Well, I would let you stay with my wife and me, but we haven't any room in our little flat, but I know who would be glad to take you in for the time being. If you want, I could take you to their house. They're wonderful people, my brother Arthur, and his wife. I'm sure the ministry could help you out in the meantime."
Kelly still couldn't believe her mother was murdered, and she was being offered to stay with another family. She had nowhere else to go. "Okay, then. I guess that would be all right. I don't want to go back. I can't."
Arnold smiled, "Well, then. I have another hour of work until the mid-day break but I'll send an owl to Arthur's wife and tell her about you. I positively sure they'll take you in for as long as needed until everything can be worked out."
"Arnold! Please get back to work!" A short, stout wizard called from the back. Arnold waved back to him.
"Well, I'd better be off. You just sit tight; I'll bring out a tuna sandwich. You like those, right? Your mother loved them." His hand rested on his shoulder as Kelly nodded.
Kelly crossed her arms and rested her head, enclosing her face in darkness. Tears cascaded from her face and onto the table. She heard Arnold leave a plate on the table, but he said nothing and Kelly appreciated that.
She sat, watching everything replay in her head. The man's face, her mother's scream, her feeling before the door was answered.
Forty-five minutes passed when Kelly saw three pairs of feet stop by her chair. She looked up.
"Hullo," said one boy with light brown hair and a round face. "Are you from around here? We've never seen you before."
Kelly shook her head, wiping her face of her tears, "No, I'm from Massachusetts--in the States, but I was born here in London."
"Oh, that's cool. Are you on a holiday or something?" said a girl with short black hair and deep brown eyes covered with too much make-up.
"Yes, I suppose," Kelly replied, not too sure of what to say. "Do you all live here?"
"Yes--well, I live in Bath, and she's from Liverpool, but we're meeting Caleb here for a few weeks before school starts again. We're all from Hogwarts, we're going to be 4th years. What year are you?"
"Um, I'm going to be a 5th year back at Salem Witches Institute. You go to Hogwarts?" Kelly knew that her mother had attended Hogwarts growing up. "What's it like there?"
"Well, I think it's really cool, except for Filch and Snape." All three of them had a look on their faces as if they just smelled a fresh pile of dog waste.
"Snape?"
"He's the Potions professor, and the head of Slytherin. Nobody likes him; he's really mean and unfair. And he really needs to take a bath," they all giggled.
Kelly smiled. "Is 'Slytherin' one of your houses?" She was in the Mernott house at the Salem Witches Institute.
"Yeah, Slytherin's the worst! They say You-Know-Who was in that house. We're in Hufflepuff, except for Caleb; he's in Gryffindor," said the girl. "Oh, by the way, I'm Serena, that's Ryan," she pointed to the boy with the light brown hair, "and that's Caleb." The other boy with black hair and bright blue eyes, almost like Ronan's.
"It's nice to meet you," Kelly said.
Caleb pointed to Ronan, "Is that your cat?"
Ronan stood up and jumped onto the table. Reeeeeow?
"Yes, that's Ronan."
"He's cool," said Serena as she scratched the underside of his chin.
Arnold walked over to Kelly. "I just got the owl back from Mrs. Weasley, and she'd be glad to take care of you for as long as needed. Would you like to leave now?"
"Sure..." Kelly stood up took a hold of her bag, and motioned Ronan to follow them. She bade Caleb, Ryan, and Serena farewell as she and Arnold walked into the back of the restaurant to a fireplace and a pot of floo powder.
"We would Apperate, but I'm guessing you can't yet, so we'll go by floo powder. I'll go first. Just follow my lead."
He climbed into the fireplace and yelled, "The Burrow!"
And so she followed suit.
~~~
Kelly opened her eyes and stepped out of the fireplace finding that she was in a small living room. To her left was a tiny kitchen, cluttered with dishes and vegetables and Gilderoy Lockhart books on every matter, (the same ones her mother had in their kitchen). On her right was a very narrow stairway leading upstairs. In front of her were two very battered couches facing a small card table. Behind that was a screen door with a large backyard with little gnomes sneaking behind peony bushes. She was often given he chore of ridding her very small backyard of them once every two weeks back at home.
"Oh my goodness. Well, Arnold, I haven't had a chance to tell the children!" Whispered a female voice.
"Molly, that's fine for now." Arnold sighed. "Don't worry yourself. The Ministry has been reached with the information of the incident."
"But Arnold-" she began, but paused. "That's fine. She can stay as long as needed. What shall I say to the family? Does Arthur know?"
"Yes, he does. And Molly, thank you. She's been through quite an ordeal."
"Yes. Well, thank you for bringing her, Arnold. I--I suppose the poor dear shall go to Hogwarts?"
"That may be so, Molly." Arnold peered around the corner, meeting Kelly's eyes. "Ah, here she is," he said with a comforting smile.
Kelly walked into the room. "Hello."
Arnold turned to the woman opposite him. She was a short, plump woman with fiery red hair. "Well, I'll be off then. Barry won't want me off work long. My best wishes to the family, and Kelly, this is Mrs. Weasley. You'll be fine here, don't worry." He left with a poof as he Disapparated.
Mrs. Weasley smiled and turned to Kelly.
"I know this must be very awkward and hard for you, dear, but we will make you feel at home while my husband will try to sort out matters at the Ministry. He works there, you know."
Kelly smiled weakly.
"I have seven children; four are in my house at this time. I have a young daughter, Ginny, who is about a year younger than you, You will be staying in her room for the meantime. My son, Ron, is your age. Fred and George are twins, and they are seventeen. They are kind, young gentlemen, but I advise that you do not accept any sweets from them. They are quite the jokers. If you need anything, anything at all, do not hesitate to ask, my dear.
"Arnold has told me about your matter, and I am incredibly sorry. I knew your mother at Hogwarts; I was a few years older. She was a wonderful person."
Kelly nodded, "Thank you for everything, Mrs. Weasley. I hope not to be a bother. I--I hope things will work out..." Although she wasn't sure of what would or could happen.
Mrs. Weasley walked up to Kelly and put her hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes, "Oh, my dear, I understand your sudden grief. We'll do our best to cheer you up, I suspect Fred and George will do their part." She closed her into a tight hug, and Kelly felt a tear stream down her cheek. Mrs. Weasley wiped it away, and smiled. "Would you like to take your things upstairs? You can meet my children. I'm sure they'll be delighted to see you; they've been so bored lately. Especially Ron, he's been waiting for his friend Harry to write him back all summer. I suspect they'll try to save the poor child again from those wretched Muggles," she added with a chuckle, though Kelly had no idea what she was talking about.
"Oh, dear," she sighed. "I haven't told any of the children of your matter. Would you like me to tell them why you're here? Do you need me to tell them not to ask? What would you like?"
Kelly didn't know how to answer. If she was imposing into this family's lives, wouldn't they feel better knowing? But then, she didn't feel like reliving what had happened.
"Uh, well." She licked her lips. "I suppose, well, I don't know, really." This felt very awkward. "I supposed I could just tell them on my own." Why did she say that?
"Okay then, dear. Shall we?"
They headed up the narrow stairway, leading up to two floors or so Kelly counted. At the third, they stepped off to a small, crooked wooden door. Mrs. Weasley knocked twice, and a small voice answered.
"Yes?"
"Ginny dear, our guest has arrived. Is your room cleaned and is the other bed made yet?"
"Er--almost, Mum."
"Then I hope we can at least see the floor; we're coming in."
Mrs. Weasley opened the door and inside was an undersized, but comfortable room, filled with moving posters of unicorns and fairies. Atop her purple minuscule bed was a photo of Harry Potter. Kelly knew the Boy-Who-Lived was living somewhere in England, and he went to Hogwarts. At the Salem Witches Institute, she knew a group of younger girls who fancied him. She felt sorry for the poor boy, being famous for living, when the Dark Lord murdered his parents.
A small girl, maybe a year younger, with the same long wavy red hair her mother owned was standing by the bed, holding a few books as if in the middle of putting them away. She smiled at Kelly.
"Hi, I'm Ginny."
Kelly smiled back, "I'm Kelly. Nice to meet you."
Ginny looked down at Ronan, "Ooooh, what a pretty cat! I love cats! What's his name?"
"Ronan; he's a Siamese cat." Ginny dropped the books on her bed, and kneeled beside Ronan, petting him. He purred at the attention.
"Well, I'll leave you girls to get acquainted. I'll be making a snack downstairs; it should be ready soon. If you need anything, Kelly, let Ginny or me know at once," and with that, she left.
Ginny stood up, "Here's your bed," she pointed at the sofa bed across from her's. It looked very comfortable.
Kelly walked over to it, dropping her bag onto it, when she realized she had no clothes, or personal belongings with her.
"Oh, I--I don't have any clothes with me, they're at my house, and I can't go back for a little while, I think."
"Oh, well, you can barrow mine until you can get them. And if you have some money on you, I think we're going to Diagon Alley later in the afternoon; Mother has to take Ron to get a gift for Harry's birthday," Ginny's cheeks went slightly red.
"Okay, thanks." Kelly sat on the bed and stared out the window while Ginny finished putting her books away.
Suddenly someone knocked on the door, making Kelly jump.
"Ginny, give me back my chess set. Me and George are going to play," said a cracking male voice.
He opened the door before Ginny could answer.
A boy Kelly's age who was very tall, and had the same red hair and lots of freckles looked over at her, "Uh, who are you?"
"I'm Kelly..."
"That's Ron, my idiot brother," Ginny said.
"Shut up, half-pint." He turned to Kelly, "So what are you doing here?"
"Oh, Ron, don't you have any manners?" Ginny said with an obvious glare.
"It's okay, I suppose I should tell you," Kelly sighed, getting ready to tell it over again, hoping she wouldn't start crying. Ron and Ginny sat there waiting for an answer, so she told them everything, (except that she was an animagus). She seemed to be out of tears, though both Ginny and Ron looked like they might need some tissues.
"That's horrid. Wow, I am so sorry, Kelly," Ginny whispered solemnly.
"Yeah, on your birthday, too. That's pretty bad. Well, you have a lot in common with Harry. You guys should get together and avenge You-Know-Who," encouraged Ron.
Ginny looked furious at Ron's insensitivity.
"Who's Harry? Your mother mentioned him."
"Oh, Harry. Harry Potter--he's my best friend," he said with a small note of pride. "Well, one of them. Hermione Granger is my other best friend," he added.
Kelly felt her jaw drop and her eyes widen, "Harry Potter? Here? You know him? Wow."
Ron laughed, "Yeah, he seems to have that effect on people. I've been trying to get him to stay here all summer, but he hasn't answered any of the owls that I've sent him. We'll probably rescue him again. Too bad Dad doesn't have the Anglia anymore."
"Your mother mentioned rescuing him from 'the Muggles'."
"Yeah, we end up doing that every year; it's almost a tradition. In our second year, we took my Dad's flying car to get him, and almost ended up getting expelled. In third year, Harry ended up in Diagon Alley after blowing up his aunt, and we took him to our house, and last year, we went to the Quidditch Finals, and his aunt and uncle weren't going to let him, so we went to get him. I suppose we'll be doing it again if I don't get owled back soon."
"I'd love to meet him," Kelly said.
Ginny rolled her eyes, "Anyway, you were getting your chess set, Ron?"
"Oh yeah. Do you guys want to play teams with us?"
Ginny shook her head, "I can't. I have to finish cleaning my room, and Mum is making me finish my Potions essay on the Saspearit Weed thingy."
"Okay, then. I'll see if Fred wants to play, but he's probably sleeping," he looked over to Kelly, "Are you going to play at least?"
Kelly smiled, needing something else to concentrate on, "Yeah, sure."
Ron grabbed the chess set, and they headed a floor down to Fred and George's room. Waking up his brother, who agreed to play.
An older boy with the same Weasley appearance was sitting on the couch twirling his wand boredly between his fingers. It was most likely George, one of the twins. He looked up at Kelly, walked over to her, and smiled.
"Hello! You must be Kelly! Welcome to our humble home! I am Forge." He said, sounding very official, outstretching his hand.
Ron s******ed, "I thought we agreed. No more Percy, or shall I say Weatherby?" Ron rolled his eyes, "Oh, and his name's George."
Kelly shook his hand and suddenly felt like she was being tickled all over.
"Tickling charm--in a powder! My invention," he said while Kelly held her sides laughing and unable to breathe.
"Our invention," said another boy who must have been George's twin, looking amused that it worked. He looked over at Kelly, "Hello. I'm Gred," and he also held out a hand, but Kelly laughed and back away.
"Oh, yes, our invention. But it was my idea. He just made it, " said George, pointing over his shoulder at Fred.
The laughing finally weared off, and Kelly was able to stand fully again. The twins smiled, content that their creation had worked successfully.
"Thanks, I needed that," Kelly said with a smile.
"No problem. More?"
"Haha, no thanks.I think I've had enough."
"So we were going to play chess?" said Fred.
The four of them walked over to the couches and sat the chessboard on the table.
Fred and George teamed up as Ron and Kelly played together.
Far into the game, Fred finally asked, "I don't mean to be rude, but may I ask why you're staying at our house?"
Kelly really didn't want to go through her story again, and Ron seemed to catch on.
"Um, I'll tell you guys later."
Awhile later, Ron and Kelly had checkmated Fred and George.
"Bugger! You guys are good!" exclaimed Fred. Ron shrugged, and Kelly smiled and thanked them.
"Well, I taught Ron all he knows," said George.
"Yeah, too bad I'm better, George," laughed Ron.
Mrs. Weasley came into the room, "Your snack is ready! Grilled cheese sandwiches and chips! Ron, would you please get Ginny and tell her lunch is being served?"
Ron nodded and headed upstairs.
"We'll eat outside, it's a nice day. Would you all be dears and set the table?"
Mrs. Weasley was right; it was beautiful outside. The sun was out and the flowers in the gardens in the Weasley's back yard were in full bloom. It was obvious Mrs. Weasley set a charm on her plants because they were at least twice their average size, but that just attracted more bees. She walked towards the large table and set the napkins for six. Soon everyone except for Ron was getting ready to be seated, and then he came walking out onto the patio holding a piece of parchment. He had his mouth slightly hanging.
"What is it?" said Ginny.
Ron looked at everyone, as if sizing them up. Then he finally said, "Guess what guys, Harry's in trouble again," shaking his head with an incredulous expression. "Big time."