Quietly she stalked in the night, down the small path that led to her small cottage. Her face was pale with shock and disgust. Her mother had just bought the cottage, and it was nothing like home. At her old house there had been a bigger yard, in which she could plant her herb garden. Also the neighbors hadn't been so close, and since one of them were muggles she couldn't fly or do any magic outside. It was all Brock's fault. Brock, her sleazy, full blood witch step-father. What her mother saw in him she had no idea, but she couldn't help but love the look of happiness on her dear mother's face as they talked. Ever since Da had died, she had been in a state of depression, and the once glowing Marsha had become dull and dark. Her name? Why, it was Amelia Asher, named after her mother's great grandmother.
The wind was blowing hard, so she wrapped her Olive cloak tighter around her, covering the black shirt with her favorite band's emblem. Her grey, ankle-length skirt whipped furiously around her steel-toed combat boots as she started up the walk. She guessed she could make a herb garden, next to where the woods started and where their back yard ended. Sighing she opened the door and looked around the empty living room, filled with covered furniture and boxes. It wasn't the way the cottage looked or even the location that made Amelia hate the house. It was the sense that her mother was leaving behind something, trying to get rid of Da. She of course, had scavenged certain artifacts of her Da from the trash, they were hidden in a box of her clothes where she knew her mother or Brock would not look. Even though Brock was self-centered, mean, and slightly rude, he had enough respect not the go into her things. She also gave him credit, he did marry a so called "mud blood". Something that could have gotten him disowned, if he hadn't convince his family what a powerful witch Marsha was.

Back to the present. The house was still, Brock and Ma were out celebrating their new house and lives, leaving Amelia to start unpacking her things. Amelia walked down the hall, her boots noisy on the sleek wooden floor. Her new room was slightly large, with its own closet, and she liked the decor. The walls were a deep forest green, and she planned the paint trees around the closet, and the carpet was a light brown and looked new. Her bed was already put up, and the oak dresser was sitting in the middle of the room surrounded by boxes. Amelia searched the box labeled "assesories", and pulled out a hair brush. The wind had tangled her dark brown hair fiercely, and it took some time to get the ends that reached just below her shoulders. Afterwards she looked in the mirror, putting a grey ribbon in her hair to keep it out of her deep hazel eyes. Then silently and sadly she put on her smock and grabbed a paint brush and the brown paint and started the job of decorating her wall.

Amelia had just finished the details of the trunk when the front door shut. Her Ma was sitting in Amelia's door, looking proudly at the wall. "my little daughter, the artist." she said happily, going over to carefully hug her daughter. Amelia smiled, putting down the brush to hug her back. "I assume you had a nice time in this so called 'Diagon Alley'? " She said, interested at how her new shopping place was going to be like. Marsha made her fake "thinking" face and sat next to her on the carpet. "It's a nice place, a lot of people are there. The book shop is amazing, and they stock a lot of your favorite authors. My favorite place would have to be the herb and cauldron shop, they must have at least one hundred different herbs there. I bet you'd love it." As she opened a can of light green paint, Amelia smiled. She hadn't expected her mother to know the names of the shops, but she wished she could had gone with her. "And of course", her mother said, interrupting her thoughts, " You'll have to go with me to Hogsmead. I've heard they have the best candy shop. " This caught Amelia's attention, ever since she and her mother had started bonding they had created a large taste for sweets. "Now of course you wouldn't even think about leaving me Ma. I couldn't stand it if you came back with bags of sweets and I didn't get to see the shop they came from. " As they laughed Brock stood in the door, like her his Hair was a dark brown, reaching his ears. his eyes were also brown and he was unusualy pale. He was wearing a crimson sweater and robe with black pants and his usual leather boots. His face was hard and stern looking, and Amelia couldn't help but think he look disgusted at the sight of her. Marsha had red hair, which Amelia had always loved, and it was long, always put up into a braid. As Amelia her eyes were Hazel and, according to her, Ma had great fashion sense. Her Green robe matched her Bell shirt, and the jeans she was wearing were black, matching her black ballet slips. As they stopped her Ma stood up and walked to Brock, hugging him and letting her head rest on his chest, he returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "It was great wasn't it Beatha?" A wave of sadness passed over her, Beatha was her mom's pet name for Da, it was a short version of Muirn beatha dan or 'soul mate'. Now disgusted she tuned out their conversation. She stood up and started painting the leaves to her tree, immersing herself in the decision of the shape of the leaves. Marsha looked at her daughter and led Brock down the hall to the master bedroom.

The next day it was raining. Now its time to tell you the reason Amelia didn't hate moving that much. She was getting to go to another school. Her step-father didn't like the lack of full bloods there and pulled some strings to get her into Hogwarts. Amelia had heard great things about Hogwarts, and heard a lot about the people who went there. She wouldn't get to go through the sorting ceremony like all the other kids, but she would be sorted and enrolled in the school as if she had always been there. One that rainy day Amelia was thrilled when a large barn owl flew down the chimney and into the living room, where she was reading a book about potions on the covered couch. Marsha had been thrilled that Amelia was going to a school so nearby, for they had moved somewhat near Hogsmead. So when Amelia ran into the kitchen waving a large yellow letter and holding a barn owl on her shoulder they hugged and laughed together in what seemed like the most normal moment since they had moved. As her Ma fed the owl and let it outside to go home Amelia ripped open the envelope and removed the heavy parchment. She read the letter from a Professor Mcgonagall twice and focused on the list of books. She could see a scribble of added items and smiled, remembering she would have to get some of the things she should have since her first year. Tomorrow her mother would take her for the books, robes, a smaller cauldron, and of course an Cat. Her Ma had promised her an Cat, since Clovis had died the year before. even though it was raining her and her Ma packed up the bikes, the only muggles transport they would buy, the least mechanical and natural of the selection to them, it was faster than walking.

It took two hours of riding to reach the Leaky Cauldron, and Amelia found it surprisingly gloomy. Nothing like the old inn at home. But she grew to it as they had a warm bowl of soup with some Pumpkin pastries. Amelia smiled as she and her Ma jumped over puddles and pointed out various items in the streets of Diagon alley. When her mother left her at the robe vendor she quickly lost her happiness.

She walked into the shop, Ma had gone to collect her books while she was fitted for robes. The shop was gorgeous, and she particularly liked a black robe that looked like spiders web. As she admired the work she did not hear the bell signaling a customer. That was, until she heard a sleazy hiss in her ear. " Fancy seeing you here... Amelia. " she did not turn around for some time, that was until madam Malkin called her over for a fitting. As she turned, it was on her heels in a sharp turn. "And I should say the same for you... Malfoy. " She said, trying to mock him. Aggravated she strode away towards the woman, who had measuring tapes out and cloth in a pile, awaiting needles to help it take its form of a robe. Malfoy smirked and stood on the stool beside her, obviously he would not give up. You see, Marsha was not Amelia's real mother. It was a full blood witch named Petrillum, whom Amelia is never to bring up. But she still loved Marsha dearly, always finding things they had in common. Noses, eyes, teeth, toenails, anything was fine by her!

That was until the reunion. Brock had talked Marsha into going to his cousin's house, Lucious Malfoy had invited him for dinner. And of course, Marsha had dragged Amelia along. The night with Malfoy had been terrible, and she had forgotten the fact that he went to Hogwarts. And of course the fact that she was actually Full blood she was somewhat "available" to him.

Gah, the light from his greasy hair had blinded her for a moment. The measuring tapes were starting to make her feel even more anxious, for the were making her arms go up, legs spread, getting every last measurement. She sighed in relief when they stopped and whizzed back to their cupboard. In the commotion she hadn't heard what malfoy had said, that was until he yelled it at her in a annoying tone. "You going to hogwarts then?" He asked, looking at the emblem on her now ready robe. Not wanting to answer she praised the heavens that her mother was waiting outside. To quickly she waved and ran outside, hugging her Ma and looked back quickly at Malfoy, who was smiling. No doubt thinking of monstrous plans and such. " Ma.", Amelia said to Marsha, " I forgot that awful Malfoy went to hogwarts, what am I to do?" Her Ma just laughed and smiled down at her daughter. "now, didn't I teach you this a while ago. You report it to the teachers. And when they do nothing you simply throw a hex at him and maybe kick em a few times..." Amelia laughed and interrupted her Ma. "Ma! Your getting way too into this... And by the way..", she said, holding up a bag full of coins, "can we stop by the quidditch shop? I finally raised enough money for my own broom! And you know how long I've carried on this fund. At least five years!" Marsha smiled, nodding as they turned. It was true, and she knew which broom her daughter was getting. " After that generous gift from grandda I guess you could afford your own firebolt? luck you." A smile crept on her face as her child nodded in excitement.

As Amelia took the broom to the counter she quietly laid the money down as well. She would be almost broke after this, but by Halloween she would have enough for the first trip to Hogsmead. The cashier happily stored the money away as handed the girl her newly wrapped firebolt. "Now miss. You have a fine broom. I'm hoping you will be careful with it. " Amelia smiled and shot a happy remark back, "I will miss, and if I had enough money I would have bought a Kit!" She waved as they trudged out of the store into the sprinkling rain, where they would race to the leaky cauldron and have some more of that soup. As they entered the tavern a thought passed through Amelia's head. "Ma? how are we going to get all this home?"

Brock was looking intriguingly as the two lumps came cycling up the path. Amelia was wearing her robe, and Dagda was sitting in a carrier on her bike's handles. Marsha had two packs strapped to her, carrying the books. And behind then was a wagon holding the rest. They had borrowed the wagon from Tom, the inn keeper, and promised to bring it back when Amelia went there next. Instead of hugging Brock, Marsha threw a bag or two into his arms, and started walking inside with Dagda and the potion supplies. Amelia could of sworn he glared at her as she trudged along behind her.