(Author's Note: This would not have been posted because this character represents me at age nine. So technically, she is me and a lot of secrets. This story is something I thought up when Harry Potter first came out and I was still in the hospital. I am now sixteen and the fantasy still makes me feel better in situations I don't care to think of. If there is anything in here you don't feel I explained adequately, feel free to say so, e-mail or review and I'll explain it as much as I can. After all, this is written pretty much for me. I hope you can enjoy it. My friend, Aimee, encouraged me to post this, so I take that as a good sign :-)

She had chubby cheeks, pale skin smattered with freckles, short, nose-length hair, large glasses and a silver-lined smile. No one could really consider her beautiful, but there was something about her constant grinning that people found attractive. While most people liked her, she held little in the way of love for herself. Though Kate's cheeks were continually spread in a smile, her heart weighed heavy with the dull ache of the past, present, and inevitable future.

Two diseases and now this accursed medication; it felt like insult added to injury. Even months later, she still held bitterness towards her doctor for choosing prednisone. Prior to the vile medicine, she had endured weeks of pain and humiliation. While the physical pain was gone, the humiliation had only intensified.

The smile that usually adorned her face had dissipated while she packed up her belongings. Alone time was her time to cry and sit on the pity pot. Kate didn't want people to know how sorry she felt for herself, so they didn't. Not only did she have a million physical problems, but she was losing her friends and a world she knew. Dr. Slate, her father, had decided it was time to move to another country. England. Kate folded up another shirt and laid it gently in her suitcase.

At least they speak English there, she thought a bit bitterly to herself.

"Hey, jolly cheeks," her younger sister, Meghan, burst into the room, barely pausing to knock. Kate forced a laugh, taking her glasses off to wipe her eyes quickly. "Almost done?"

"Yup." She put one more shirt in and closed up her bag.

"Mom says it's time for dinner."

"'Kay." Kate sighed when Meghan left the room, poking a "jolly" cheek miserably. She shook herself, put on a smile, and went down for dinner.

"Bienvenue à Privet Drive." Kate's father said in French. He looked in the rearview mirror and was rewarded with a broad grin from Kate.

"The houses here are all the same," Meghan complained in a whiny tone.

"It's a nice neighborhood," her mother reprimanded gently, "we're very fortunate to be able to live here."

Meghan crossed her arms and pouted.

Kate saw her father's face sag slightly in disappointment.

"Well, I like it." Kate lied. Dr. Slate's face lit up. Meghan shot Kate a dirty look and mouthed fatty.

Kate stared sullenly at her lap and refused to allow the tears to come to her eyes. Before she knew it, they had pulled up to their new house.

It was certainly a nice house by any standards, but the neighborhood sort of camouflaged it. If anything, seeing it only made her want to cry more. She shook her head and tried to think of something else.

I wonder how I'll find it again if I ever leave, Kate thought to herself. Guess I'd better just remember the number. Eight Privet Drive. Oh what a thrill. Kate sighed and got out of the car. Her legs appreciated the stretch even if she was sleepy. Her father led them enthusiastically into the house.

After Kate and Meghan had looked at their bedrooms, which were both dull and uninteresting, their father showed them the rest of the house.

"Look, isn't this cool? There's a closet under the stairs!" Mary Jane Slate, their mother, said brightly. "I could shove one of you in here if I got irritated. Heheh." She laughed in a mock-evil way.

"Would you now?" Kate asked, smirking.

"I can take you." Mrs. Slate put her fists up.

"Now, now, I'd sit on you and the whole fight would be over." Kate waved her hand dismissively.

Mrs. Slate had to stifle a laugh. She suspected that Kate was deeply sensitive about her weight, no matter how much she joked about it.

"Kate, it'll be off soon. You've been weaning and soon you'll be off." Mary Jane said softly. She pulled Kate into a tight hug.

"Mom, I know." Kate said, hugging her mother back. "It's okay. Really."

"Mom, Ole Jolly Cheeks doesn't care." Meghan said inconsiderately.

Kate bit her lip and then smiled goofily. "You know, I'm tired," she cut her mother off. "I think I'll hit the sack early tonight, 'kay?"

"I'm a little tired too." Her mother agreed. "I think I'll take a nap."

"But there's still so much to do!" Dr. Slate cried.

"Terry, Thorbes, it can wait until later. The clothes won't run off."

"I don't want to sleep." Meghan whined.

"You don't have to." Kate said to her with a bit of harshness.

"Jeez, you don't have to snap at me." Meghan frowned at her.

"I'm just sleepy. Bye." Kate went up to her room and closed the door.

The next morning, after strenuous and tedious hours spent unpacking and arranging, Kate announced that she was going to go for a walk.

"What about lunch?" Her mother asked.

"I'm not hungry." She lied. Kate sometimes tried to starve herself to trick the prednisone. When she had first gone on the medicine she had found herself inexplicably starving. No matter how much she ate she was never full! Accredited to the foul medication, Kate decided that was how it had made her twenty-five pounds heavier.

"Oh, all right then." Mary Jane headed into the kitchen and started making peanut-butter sandwiches. "Don't get lost."

"Number eight. No worries." Kate imitated the crocodile hunter.

"We're in England, not Australia." Dr. Slate mock-scolded. "I hope these British schools do better than those-."

"Bye Dad!" And she stepped quickly out the door. She was dressed in her "fat clothes." Her overalls were baggy on her and so was her shirt. She felt like a regular bag lady. The sky was cloudy as ever and she greatly appreciated it. Having extremely sensitive skin, Kate was not one to dwell in the sun. That was one good attribute to England, she had decided. Kate was definitely a rainy-weather kind of person.

Gods, I live in Pleasantville! All of the neighbors were out washing their cars, tending to their perfect gardens, painting fences or just sitting inside doing who-knows-what. There was neither hide nor hair of a person her age. She would surely die of boredom in such a stiff environment.

Turning to the left, she continued around the neighborhood. Boring. Then, she saw an older lady sprawled on her front lawn with tartan slippers on and four cats around her. She kept saying things to her cats, not caring who watched. Kate was so happy to see someone who seemed… human… in this neighborhood that she grinned broadly at the woman.

The woman caught her eye and smiled back. "Hello, dear."

"Hi." Kate said sociably.

"Pull of a spot of grass." The older woman pat the ground next to her.

"Thanks." Kate sat at a reasonable distance from the woman. A cat sniffed her and purred approvingly.

"What's your name?"

"Kate. Kate Slate."

"Ah, it rhymes, how wonderful."

Kate smiled, blushing slightly.

"My name is Arabella Doreen Figg. But you can call me Mrs. Figg."

"That's an awesome name." Kate grinned. "I wish mine were so-."

"Long?" Mrs. Figg cut her off grinning.

"I was going to say original. I mean, Kate and Slate are two very common names in America."

"Not so much in England, my dear. You're from the States, are you?"

"Yeah."

"Welcome to Jolly England." Mrs. Figg said amiably.

"Thank you." Kate smiled again.

"How do you like Privet Drive?"

"Um… it's certainly a nice neighborhood…."

"But it's dreadfully boring, isn't it?"

"Kind of."

"Kind of dreadfully boring, hm." Mrs. Figg smirked at Kate.

"Okay, it's just dreadfully boring then." Kate replied laughing a bit.

"I agree. You must come and visit if you ever feel the desire for a bit of British company."

"Thank you, I undoubtedly will."

"Good. Well, I'm headed inside. Until we meet again, Kate."

"Bye Mrs. Figg."

Mrs. Figg bounced up from the ground and walked into her house, her cats trailing behind her. Kate's mood was considerably brightened after this encounter. She stood and left Mrs. Figg's yard. She wandered further down the neighborhood. There was a large blonde boy perched on a bicycle beside three other boys, who were also on bikes. Her heart jumped as she realized that they were close to her own age. She smiled at them, but they were focused elsewhere. Sighing, Kate continued up the road and turned back to her street, feeling a bit queasy. She saw another boy walking ruefully alone down the road.

Her heart skipped a beat. Someone else her age! And he was alone, making him a bit more approachable. He was watching his feet and his hair, which was jet black and insanely messy, was bouncing on every other step.

She sped up and upon closer inspection found he was quite skinny. Kate was afraid suddenly to speak to him. She had once been a skinny girl, but now she felt like three of what she used to be. Self-conscious, but determined, Kate caught up to him.

"Hi." She grinned.

"Hi." The boy looked up at her. He had taped glasses, bright green eyes, and a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.

"I'm Kate Slate. I'm new here." She said rather quickly.

"Oh, I'm Harry Potter, and I'm not new at all." He smiled.

Kate sighed. "I'm so glad that I found you. I was beginning to think that no one in this neighborhood was my age." She stopped. "But then again, I don't know how old you are."

"Ten, almost eleven."

"Oh! I'm eleven."

Harry smiled, apparently lost for words.

"I saw a few boys earlier on bicycles, but…."

"Oh. The blonde one's my cousin."

"Does he live nearby?" Kate's mind was racing. That could mean a lot of friends in one neighborhood.

"I live with him." Harry said glumly.

Kate frowned, wondering if it would be polite to ask why.

"My parents died when I was little." He said before she could ask.

"Oh, I'm… really sorry." Her smile faded and her cheeks sagged.

"It's all right." Harry responded. "Don't worry about it." They walked in silence for a moment. "Are you American?"

"Yeah. I am."

"That's cool. Where did you live?"

"New York." Before Harry could open his mouth, she said "Not the city. A Podunk place called Horseheads."

"Never heard of it." Harry frowned.

"Of course not. Nobody has." She laughed. "Where are you going to school this year?"

"Stonewall."

"Is it private?"

"No…." He trailed off. "Why would it be?"

"Well, I thought we'd go to the same school since we live in the same area and if it's public…."

"Girls and boys don't school together."

"Why not?" Kate asked quickly.

"Dunno." Harry shrugged. "Just the way it is, I guess."

"Weird. D'you know anything about Lexington?"

"It's the girl's high school."

"Thanks." Kate said sarcastically, still grinning.

Harry laughed. "I really don't. Sorry."

"S'ok." Kate felt very dizzy. She remembered that she hadn't eaten lunch. What a foolish thing. When she didn't eat she was near to fainting, and she had hoped to overcome that. Kate looked at her watch. "Oops. I've overstayed my outdoor-welcome. I've got to go. It was really nice meeting you Harry. I'll see you around."

"Yeah." Harry smiled earnestly at her. "Yeah, I'll see you 'round."

"Meet anyone?" Her mother asked over dinner. Kate was trying to eat slowly, but her stomach was giving her woes.

"Yeah. I met a guy named Harry Potter, and a woman named Mrs. Figg. They're really nice." She took a sip of water.

"There's no ice." Meghan complained again.

"I'm glad you've found friends." Dr. Slate said, deliberately ignoring Kate's younger sister.

"There's no ice." Meghan said louder.

"Are you eight or are you three?" Dr. Slate rebuked her.

Meghan stuck her lower lip out. "Why don't you ever ask Kate that?"

"Because I'm obviously not eight." Kate smiled benignly.

"You know what I mean." Meghan cried.

"Your sister, unlike you, acts her age, if not older." Dr. Slate said emphatically.

"It's just 'cause she's fat, isn't it? You feel bad for her 'cause she eats a lot." Meghan started trying to make Kate feel like crap, and was succeeding beautifully.

"Meghan Elizabeth Slate!" Her father and mother chimed.

"Meghan, shut up." Kate slammed her fork down. "You try this stinking disease and then say that, you stupid… ugh. I'm going upstairs." She stormed up the stairs, too angry and hurt to be civil. Sprawling herself over her bed, she imagined Meghan breaking her chair and thinking she was fat. Then she'd think twice about insulting Kate for something she couldn't control. Oh yes. Kate thought she heard a crunch from downstairs, but wasn't sure. As she drifted off into an uneasy sleep, she thought she heard a cry and some squealing.

As it turned out, Meghan's chair had broken. Kate didn't know this until later the next day because immediately after pill-popping and eating, she left the house in search of Harry Potter. She didn't have to be outside for long before finding the baggily-clad boy. His clothes were baggy for another reason. He was extremely skinny. Hers were baggy because she knew she looked extremely pudgy.

"Hey." She called out.

"Hello." He grinned broadly. "How are you?"

"I'm okay, and you?"

"All right." He shrugged. They started walking, sensing the other's dark feelings.

"Don't answer if you don't want," she said after awhile, "but how did you get your scar? I mean, it's not an ordinary shape."

"Car crash."

"The one your parents…?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"It's a cool scar, though bad by association, I guess."

He smiled. "It is a cool scar." He reached up to touch it.

"Lightning."

"Oh yes."

"So, what do you do to have fun around here?" Kate asked after another pause.

"Walk around, in my case. Beat people in Dudley's."

"Who's Dudley?"

"Oh, right. My cousin."

"The blonde one?"

"Yes." Harry nodded.

"You don't like him, do you?" Kate more stated this than asked.

"No." They turned the corner. Mrs. Figg was walking around her lawn and suddenly Harry grabbed Kate's arm and forced her to turn away.

"What? What's wrong?"

"That woman is batty." He whispered.

"I think she's funny." Kate frowned.

"She's never babysat you." Harry said fervently.

"I'll take your word for it." Kate suppressed a smile.

"You'll be happiest that way. I have to go to her house later today so that Dudley can get his uniform. Smeltings. The private school."

"Oh. I think I have to get a uniform soon too."

Harry shrugged. "Probably."

"Harry!" A shrill cry rang out. "Get in here this instant!"

Harry's face blanched.

"Who's that?"

"I've got to go. Aunt Petunia calls." He waved and ran off.

Kate headed reluctantly home. That was when she discovered Meghan's broken chair.

Dinner that night was a somber affair. Meghan kept her mouth firmly shut and Dr. Slate kept shooting her warning looks. Mary Jane tried to keep conversation flowing, but nobody was in the mind to help.

"Oh, we have to pick up your uniforms tomorrow and…." Her mother trailed off, listening to something. "Did you just hear something come through the mail slot?"

"Yeah." Kate stopped eating and looked down the hall. There was an envelope lying on the floor. "I'll go look." She stood and walked slowly down the hall, half-expected a bomb. She picked the envelope up. It was made of a heavy, parchment-like material and was written on in shining green ink. Where the return address would have been was a seal with a letter H encircled by a snake, a lion, a badger and a raven.

The ink read:

Ms. K. Slate

The Kitchen

8 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

"What is it?" Mrs. Slate called.

"A… a letter."

"Really? Is it a welcome letter?"

"No. It's just to me." Kate's heart was pounding harder than usual as she looked at it. How could the writer know she was in the kitchen? Did they just assume as much because she was chubby? Was somebody stalking her? She brought the letter slowly back to the kitchen with her.

"To you? Who's writing to you?" Her sister asked, jumping up from her seat, ending her self-forced silence.

"I don't know."

"Open it!" Meghan squealed. "Pretty ink." She commented quietly.

Kate broke the seal and pulled the letter out hesitantly.

Her mouth dropped as her eyes scanned the page.

"What? What is it?"

"Hogwarts School of…" she swallowed, "Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Huh?"

"Read what it says." Dr. Slate said, eyebrows knit closely together. "I don't have my glasses."

"'Dear Ms. Slate, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September first. We await your owl by no later than July thirty-first.'" Kate lowered the paper. "Owl? What?"

The family looked vastly confused.

"Must be some sort of joke…." Dr. Slate said softly.

"Weird." Meghan said, taking the letter and flipping to the necessary equipment. "Dragon-hide gloves? A magic wand? A cauldron?"

"May I have a look?" Mrs. Slate asked tentatively. Meghan handed the letter to her mother. She scanned the letter then asked, "Who's Minerva McGonagall?"

Pop!

The Slate family leapt as… someone popped into the kitchen!

"Ah!" Mrs. Slate cried out, jumping out of her seat.

A rather severe looking woman stood before them, dressed in an emerald cloak, square spectacles, and a formal bun. Her lips were pursed as she surveyed the family.

"Who… who are you?" Dr. Slate jumped out of his chair.

"Professor Minerva McGonagall, deputy headmistress to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Kate's eyes were wide as saucers.

"Witches aren't real." Meghan said bluntly.

McGonagall's eyebrows shot up. "They aren't? Then what is Kathryn?"

"A human." Meghan sounded unsure and frightened.

"She's that too." McGonagall nodded.

"Kate's a witch?" Meghan looked awed.

Kate's mouth fell open.

"That explains a lot." Dr. Slate frowned. "Jane, remember the first time the nurse tried to put an I.V. in and the first three disappeared?"

"How could I forget?" Mrs. Slate smiled. "And there was the time she and Meghan got into a fight and Meghan's hair turned green for two weeks."

"I didn't like that." Meghan frowned. "That was your fault?"

Kate blushed, remembering her wish that something would happen to Meghan, and watching her brush her lovely blonde hair.

"Therefore you understand what she is capable and why you should be sending her." Professor McGonagall said staring directly at Dr. Slate.

"I… I don't know if that's such a good idea." Dr. Slate looked troubled.

"It will help her to control her powers and will welcome her to her own world."

"Do you want to go?" Mrs. Slate asked Kate.

"I… yeah. I do." Kate nodded resolutely.

"Where is this school?"

"Scotland." McGonagall responded.

"Oh! But Kate will need her medication and-"

"For her ulcerative colitis?" McGonagall asked, lips pursed slightly. "Our school nurse, Madam Pomfrey, is an excellent mediwitch and will have no problems curing her."

Kate gasped. "Really?! Really?! I can get off the prednisone?!"

McGonagall nodded, looking as though she were forcing herself not to smile.

Dr. and Mrs. Slate looked at one another with broad grins on their faces.

"But where is she going to get this stuff?" Meghan asked, thrusting the list forward.

"Diagon Alley. You will have to go by the Muggle route, of course."

"The what?"

"Muggles, it's the word for non-magic peoples." McGonagall explained. "If you go to London, Kate will be able to see a pub called the Leaky Cauldron. Go inside and ask Tom, the bartender, to get you into Diagon Alley."

"Wait, let me write all of this down." Mrs. Slate jumped up and grabbed a pad of paper. "By the way, my name is Mary Jane." She introduced herself to McGonagall. She held her hand out and McGonagall took it. "This is Terry and Meghan." Dr. Slate also shook McGonagall's hand, looking amazed to be finding this out about a magical world and his daughter's involvement.

"You can call me Minerva, but Kate must call me Professor McGonagall."

Kate nodded, eyes bright with excitement.

Professor McGonagall gave Mrs. Slate thorough directions to Diagon Alley, telling her what to do once inside as well.

"I look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts. I hope you are prepared to work hard. I will see you in September." With another pop, McGonagall left.

Kate looked from her father, to her mother, to her sister and back again. They all had a look of amazement on their faces.

"I'm a witch!" Kate finally said. Everyone burst out laughing.