-Recovered Memories-

Summary: They thought she was crazy. "There's no such thing as magic..." her mother would tell her. But she kept to her heart. There was a such thing as magic and she knew it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything by J.K. Rowling but I did think up anything you don't recognize so please don't steal my ideas.

A/N: Just a little plot I thought up and am deciding to have a bit of fun with. I mean, why not?

Chapter One: There's No Such Thing As Magic

They thought she was crazy. But that was only because she was a genius. She used to run around the house with a stick yelling out nonsense and pretending to do what she called "magic". Of course, nobody believed her. But naturally, she believed in her heart and strongly believed that magic existed in the world around her. . . somewhere.

"There's no such thing as magic," Lauren's mother, Alyssa, would tell her repeatedly.

"But Mum, there is! I know there is!" was what Lauren always used to say. That was years ago when she was just a small child, aged five. But now, at age eleven, she had forgotten her dream. Her mother had successfully convinced her that magic did not exist and had driven it out of her head completely. She had absolutely no memory of ever wanting magical powers – but that was about to change.

- - - - -

"Mum, what's this?" asked Lauren as she pulled a dusty hard-backed book off the bookshelf.

Alyssa simply glanced at the book and shrugged. "It's probably an old photo album or something, sweetheart."

Lauren sat down on the living room couch that she had loved to relax on ever since she had been five and opened the book and lay it down on her lap.

It was, apparently, a photo album and on the first page was a picture of Lauren, age five, in her mother's arms reaching out towards her father, Martin. She had her father's eyes, deep blue that sometimes looked a bit green, and her mother's wavy dirty-blond hair. Lauren smiled at the picture and turned the page.

The next page held three pictures. One of Lauren sitting on the couch holding a stick and the other of what looked like her yelling something while holding a stick and the last of her crying and her mother holding the stick out of her reach.

"No, no, no. . ." said Alyssa, "You mustn't play with sticks, it's dangerous."

"But mummy, that's my magic wand! I need it mummy!" yelled Lauren jumping up to get the stick.

"Tut, tut. Lauren, there's no such thing as magic."

Lauren somehow remembered that certain occasion but thought it was awfully funny how she had been obsessed with magic. Magic doesn't exist, thought Lauren.

The next page held more pictures. In every picture Lauren seemed to be carrying a stick or not carrying a stick and crying. Suddenly, Lauren recalled another memory. A memory of an argument she had heard her parents having.

"Martin, we have to do something about her, she won't stop rambling on about magic!"

"Alyssa, dear, I don't know why it matters so much to you, it's just a childhood interest and she'll forget about it soon enough."

"But what if she never forgets? What if she's crazy all her life?"

"She won't be Alyssa, she won't be. . ."

Lauren shook her head and looked up from the photo album. She agreed with her father. Why had it been so important to her mother that she forgot about magic? She had forgotten about it anyway. . . it wasn't like she was crazy or anything.

But there was something very odd about these memories. Lauren wondered why she had been so obsessed with magic in the first place.

Alyssa walked over to Lauren and sat down next to her.

"So, what'd you find in the album?" she questioned. Lauren handed Alyssa the album and a look of fear crossed Alyssa's face as she looked at the pictures.

"Why am I always holding a stick?" asked Lauren as if she hadn't remembered what she had just recalled a moment before.

"Oh, you – er – enjoyed poking people," Alyssa answered quickly. Lauren looked back at the pictures. No, she hadn't enjoyed poking people; she had been interested in magic. Her mother was lying to her.

"No, that's not it," said Lauren. Alyssa closed the album and placed it on the table in front of them.

"Sure that's it, you had a bad problem of enjoying poking people," said Alyssa looking at her finger nails.

"No, I had an interest in – in magic." Alyssa dropped her hand at the word "magic" and quickly jumped up off the couch.

"You're mistaken Lauren, honey. There's no such thing as magic!"

And with that Alyssa dashed out of the room and up the stairs.

What was wrong with her mother? What was so bad about magic? It was just a childhood fantasy, there was no such thing.

But maybe. . . what if there was a such thing as magic? What if after all those years her mother had been wrong and there was a such thing as magic?

"No, there's no such thing as magic," said Lauren aloud and leaned back into the couch. "There's no such thing as magic. . ."

- - - - -

Lauren awoke the next morning and jumped out of bed, eager to start the day. Summer break was almost over and she didn't want to waste a second of it. She pulled on her clothes and ran downstairs.

The house was quiet. It was early and her parents hadn't gotten up yet. She walked out the front door and sat on a rocking chair on the porch and looked out onto the lawn.

Lauren heard a faint swishing sound. She looked to her left but nothing was there. Confused, Lauren returned to gazing out at the lawn letting the sun warm her face.

There it was again, the swishing sound. It was louder this time and it sounded a bit like a bird. But it would have to be a large bird to make such a loud noise. Lauren ignored the sound thinking it was just something from somewhere and didn't mean anything to her.

But then it came again and louder. She could've sworn she'd saw a large bird fly behind a tree across the street. She stood up and walked across the lawn to the white picket fence and looked at the tree. There was nothing there.

"This is silly. . ." said Lauren but she still stared at the tree wanting something to move from behind it.

But then to her utter amazement an owl flew out from behind the tree in broad daylight, flew across the street and landed on the fence in front of her. It had something tied to its leg, something that looked oddly like an envelope.

Lauren looked at the owl wondering what to do. She had never seen an owl before, not even at night let alone an owl with an envelope in the middle of the day.

"Poor thing, you must not want that thing tied to you," said Lauren as she untied the envelope from the owl's leg. The owl then flew away and disappeared into the sky as quickly as it had come.

Lauren, wondering what to do with the envelope, flipped it over to see who it was addressed to.

Lauren Bellafiore
Number 17 Clapdern Dr.
London, England

She dropped her mouth in amazement. It was addressed to her. An owl had brought her a letter especially for her. It hadn't come by the post. . . but by an owl.

Lauren walked back to porch and sat down on her chair and opened the letter excitedly.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Miss Bellafiore,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress

Lauren read the letter five, six, seven times before completely realizing what she was reading. Witchcraft? Wizardry? WHAT?!

She then pulled out the next sheet of paper, no – parchment from the envelope. It read:

UNIFORM
First years will require:
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS
All students should have a copy of each of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Minerva Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EPUIPMENT
1 wand
1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)
1 set glass or crystal phials
1 telescope
1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS.

Once Lauren finished reading the supply list she ran into the house slamming the door behind her. She dashed up the stairs and yanked open her parents' bedroom door.

"Mum! Wake up!" said Lauren shaking her mother's shoulder.

"Wha – what?" Alyssa mumbled opening her eyes.

"Look! Read this!" said Lauren and handed Alyssa the letter. At first Alyssa had no reaction but then she sat bolt upright on the bed, her hands shaking.

"Ma – Martin. . ." she said shakily.

"Mmm?" asked Martin still half asleep.

"R – Read this. . ." said Alyssa handing Martin the letter.

"What's th- Oh my. . ." muttered Martin also sitting up.

"She's a-"

"She got her-"

"Magic really does exist!" shouted Lauren happily jumping up and down.