DISCLAIMER: I do not own The 10th Kingdom or Harry Potter. The 10th Kingdom characters belong to Simon Moore and Hallmark Entertainment. The Harry Potter characters belong to J. K. Rowling.
Characters that you don't recognize are my own.
Chapter One - Owl post
Lia woke up at 3:00 AM breathing hard and sweating. She had seen the same dream again. Her boyfriend dead, and her mother screaming and running toward her. Covering her with her body and laying heavily upon her. Her heart ached. The pain was horrible. It has been like this since the day that she got that scar on left side of her chest. She put her hand on the scar that was shaped like a thunder bolt and it felt warm. She didn't know what it meant. She remembered the horrible day that she received that scar.
It was Christmas Eve. Lia and her mother were preparing dinner and were waiting for Lia's boyfriend to arrive. She was going to introduce him to her mother, and thought that Christmas Eve was the best time to do that. At eleven o'clock they heard the doorbell. Lia ran and opened the door. It was him.
They had dinner together. Lia was happy that her mother greeted John politely and liked him. Lia couldn't ask for a better present for Christmas. She was there having a great time with the two persons whom she loved. But her happiness didn't last for long. As the clock announced that it was midnight, they heard a nock on the door. Lia's mother Emily was surprised. She wasn't waiting for anyone. She didn't have any relatives there (her Muggle husband's relatives never visited them after his death four years ago), and Lia didn't invite anyone else. Emily Potter-Jones got up and headed toward the door. She looked out from the window that was located beside the door. A man wearing a black cloak stood there, his face hidden under the hood. Emily recognized the man's origin. He was a wizard. She went to her room and brought her wand. She came back and saw the door already opened. John was lying in a pool of blood and Lia laying on his body and crying. The man raised his wand at Lia.
Lia heard her mother calling something that sounded like Latin. And saw the stick in the man's hand fly. Her mother told her to run to the back yard. Out of the house. Lia obeyed and ran. When she reached the kitchen, she heard windows breaking and screams in a language that she couldn't understand. She returned to the living room and saw her mother caught in a fight with the mysterious man. Flashes of green and red were coming out of the sticks, which were in the hands of her mother and that man.
The man noticed Lia standing near the door and turned toward her. He took a few steps and raise his wand. He aimed and Lia saw her mother jumping between them and on her. They fell on the ground together. She felt her mother's heavy but warm body on her. She didn't move. Lia shook her mother but there was no response. Her mother wasn't breathing. She was dead. She moved her mother to a side and saw the man standing in front of her. She still couldn't see his face. But she knew that he was smiling. He raise his wand at her again and repeated the same Latin words that he used before killing her mother. All that she remembered after that was a green light.
It wasn't the first time that Lia remembered that horrible Christmas Eve. She remembered waking up at the hospital alone. There was no one to be with her. The police couldn't find the person who did it. The house was empty when the police arrived.
At that time she was 17 years old. Now at 25 she didn't have anything but her German Shepherd dog Rex. She spent a year at the orphanage and when she turned 18, she was forced to leave. The owner of her house was back and now she didn't have a place to go. Why was everything going wrong? She didn't know. After leaving the orphanage she found a job as a nanny at a rich family. She lived with them. But after a few months, the father of the child that she was taking care of raped her and she ran away from that house. She spent many nights on the streets, until one day a woman offered her an apartment. It was abandoned for a long time. Lia could tell that from the cobwebs all around it. The woman was so nice to help her with the cleaning, but as soon as she was finished she left and Lia didn't see her anymore. The old lady left her puppy with Lia before she left. She told her to take care of him. Now Rex was Lia's only friend and family. She spent so many hungry and cold nights. She didn't have a job and her apartment was returning to its old form.
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Rex saw her sitting on her bed, her eyes closed and her hand on her chest. He knew that she was in pain. There were nights when Lia would lose consciousness because of it. He got up on the bed and put his head on her lap. Lia opened her eyes and smiled at him.
"I'm fine Rex. It's just a little pain that's all. I'll be fine." She said and stroke his head. Rex looked at her without making a sound. He stared in her eyes as to tell her that he'll be there for her. "Wanna sleep beside me?" she asked him and he understood. It has been like this for seven years. Whenever her heart would hurt, Rex came and slept next to her so she would feel safe. Lia thought that the mysterious man would be back again to kill her. But it never happened. When was she going to die and have her long rest? She missed her parents, and her boyfriend. She missed having friends. She missed school. She lost it all. Life lost its meaning for her. She had nothing to live for.
She lay on her bed and Rex next to her, his head on her stomach. She looked out of the window. It was a bright night. The sky clear and she could see the stars and the moon. She noticed a small black figure approaching. She sat up. The figure came closer and stood on her windowsill. It was an owl with an envelope in its beak. The own flew to her bed and stood there staring at her holding its leg up as to tell her to take the envelope. Lia took the yellow envelope and read the address on it, which was written in emerald green.
Lia Jones
Bedroom
Marx street 14
Yerevan, Armenia
Lia was surprised to get such a letter. And it was addressed to her bedroom! She opened it and took out the letter and read:
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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 Jones,
We are pleased to inform you that after a long time search you have been found and accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. Considering your current age, you will attend a special scheduled course and practice. A school representative will escort you to England, where you will be able to buy all necessary books and equipment at Diagon Alley, and to King's Cross where you'll ride Hogwarts Express at platform nine and three-quarters. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy headmistress
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Lia read the letter twice. "School of witchcraft and wizardry? I'm not in a fairytale, am I?" she asked herself. The owl made a sound of agreement and nuzzled her hand. Rex didn't seem to be disturbed by the appearance of the owl. He just stared at it like they knew each other for a long time.
"Hey Rex, they're inviting me to England to study! Can you believe that?" she said and took out the other paper and read:
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HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Uniform
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 clothes should carry name tags.
Course books
All first year students should have a copy of the following:
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling
A beginner's 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 equipment
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
Note:
First years are not allowed their own broomsticks. But, considering your age we are making an exception. You may bring a broomstick of your choice.
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Lia stared at the weird letter. She read the names of the required books. They didn't seem logical. Something wasn't right. And how was she supposed to buy all that stuff? She didn't have money to buy food, not to mention buying all that stuff! She put the letter on the little table beside her bed and looked at the owl.
"Now, how am I supposed to send an owl?" she asked. The owl flew to her desk and stood on a paper. Lia got up and went to the desk.
"Hey! You can understand what I'm saying?" the owl pushed the paper to her direction. Lia sat on a chair and took her pen and started to write:
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Dear Ms. McGonagall,
Thank you for your letter. Although I am very interested to attend your school, but unfortunately I cannot accept your invitation. I cannot afford to buy all the required books and equipment and that is the main reason for rejecting your offer. The only thing that I have is the required pet, but it is a dog. A German Shepherd. I have allergy to cats, and I don't like toads. Owls are birds and I don't like to keep a bird as a pet.
Please accept my apology for rejecting your invitation.
Sincerely,
Lia Jones
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Lia read her letter a couple of times and put it
in an envelope. "Now how am I supposed to send this?" she asked the
owl and it took the letter from her hand and flew out of the window.
"Well, that was fast." Lia said and went back to bed.