Meanwhile, over in the Staff room…
"No, No, No!"
Professor Trelawney woke up with a start. Professor Dumbledore stared at her.
"Sybil? Are you alright?"
"I just had a terrible Vision!" said Trelawney.
Professor Flitwick looked interested, Professor Littlebottom looked panicky and Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes.
"Trouble is coming!" cried Trelawney "Terrible Trouble."
McGonagall suddenly looked worried.
"I think she's finally got it right," she exclaimed, "Fred Weasley's son is coming this term."
The staff shuddered.
"How many?" asked Madam Hooch.
"Only one."
Fourteen people breathed again.
"One we can manage," said Professor Snape "At least it's not four or something.
A hooded man, a dark stranger, a cold fire lit room, a windy countryside
"Master, Master, it is just as you said it would be"
"Good, Good. Then she is at Hogwarts. This year, she is at Hogwarts"
Chapter 1: On my way
Someone once said that time is a friend who joins us on the Journey. I don't believe that. I think Time is the Journey, the road we take. It's our real friends that join us along the way. Sometimes we're glad and sometimes we want to push them in the ditch. The happiest I've ever been along this journey was when my best friends joined me, and we walked along together. All that time ago.
I was eleven. I had just left primary school and was thinking the same thing as every other boy or girl in year six, that I was the ruler of the world.
It was 2017. Hermione Weasley was the Minister for Magic and Michael Davis was the Prime Minister of England. The Prides had just won the Quidditch league cup, leaving the Chudley Canons in fourth place, the best they've done for 68 years. England was preparing for the World Cup and a whole new batch of eleven year olds were eagerly awaiting their acceptance letters for Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, myself included of course.
I was in the living room at the time. We live in a fairly biggish house, not a mansion but it does have six bedrooms, four more than we need. I have the entire attic convert to myself, but I'm partial to sunlight, so I was in the living room.
I was watching some Muggle programme on TV about a talking pig that solved crimes. Our TV does have a Thomas chip in it but it was the early years of Wizarding programs broadcasting on Muggle televisions. It mainly consisted of programs for two year olds, soaps and cooking shows. My favourite programme was the cartoon by Dean Thomas himself, 'Star in the Sky', but that wasn't on so I was stuck with the Muggle pig.
My Mum came in and immediately tutted. She's never got used to these strange programs, coming from an ancient Wizarding family. My dad brought all the Muggleness into our life. His mum is a Muggle so he was basically raised as one. My mum's family, the Lazaros, are proud to say they don't have a hint of Muggle in them, thank you very much. They're that kind of family, Slytherins. My mum turned them all around though, when she became a Gryffindor.
"Lione," she said.
That's my name by the way, Lione Davies. Everyone calls me Lee and I don't really care how they spell it. I gave up trying to hammer Li into people's memory. I knew what was coming. She only ever calls me Lione when she asks me if I'd done something
"Have you practised your guitar?" she asked.
Yes, I had practised my guitar and I still wasn't very good at it. My parents suffer the delusion, shared by most adults, that if I play 'Home, home on the range' enough times I'll suddenly be able to play it flawlessly.
"Yes Mum," I said.
"Have you walked the dog?"
We had a puppy, Benny. He was so sweet then.
"Yes Mum."
"Good," said my mum, smiling. "Then you can have your post"
"You hid my letters!" I cried.
You have to understand I was on the verge of Teenagerhood so I was becoming more and more sensitive about my privacy. This breach was enough to cause war in the household. But it was completely forgotten when Mum handed me a letter in a pale yellow envelope with our address in green ink on one side and a crest showing an eagle, a badger, a snake, a lion and a large H on the other. A letter from Hogwarts. MY letter from Hogwarts. I stared at it for a while, savouring the moment. Then I grabbed the thing and ripped it open
Dear Miss Davies,
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 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
Yours sincerely,
Professor M. McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
We didn't go to Diagon Alley straight away like some people do, instead we went a few days later. Nothing spectacular happened there but I did get to go in Weasley Wizard Wheezes for the first time. I was never allowed in before because Mum said she didn't want the house filled with wet-start fireworks and dung bombs, and Dad never liked the idea of magical practical jokes. Now I know that's very parentish but my dad isn't like that all the time. We've dropped our fair share of water bombs out the window on to mum on hot days. He just says that if you're going to play a joke on someone you might as well do it the Muggle way. If everyone used magic to do it then we'd all we be resigned to a life of checking our food for colour changing spells. I think he's still bitter about the time when he was at school, trying to impress a girl and he suddenly turned into a canary.
Mum bought me a package of practical jokes with the warning 'Don't tell your father'.
Finally Friday the first came along and we were on our way to Kings Cross station. Dad was taking me because Mum was busy. There was going to be a match at her Quidditch that day so she had to get up there to prepare. That's what my Mum does, she owns Lazaro Quidditch grounds. She inherited it from her Granddad when he died. It's not very famous but it is the place where Ireland won a match against Switzerland allowing them to qualify for the 1994 world cup, which they won. OK so that's not much of a claim to fame but it is one.
Anyhow, I gave Mum her hug goodbye back home and Dad took me. Platform 9 ¾ was amazing, so much bustle. I know it's really strange but I love busy places. Being able to lose yourself in a crowd. I'm about medium height and I've got short black hair so it's quite easy. I hate being in a tight place with one or two other people. There's the uncomfortableness of new people then someone always remarks about my really pale green eyes. 'Almost see through' they say. I was quite fond of them till it became a conversation point. But crowds are my favourite. Doing your own thing, weaving through the people. I'm quite a good weaver. Listening to other people's conversations. Right then I was hearing a million of them.
A sandy student being told to watch himself by his dark haired mother. Two teenage boys trying to chat up four teenage giggling girls all at the same time. My attention was drawn, however, to a small group standing near the barrier. A Mother, and a Father and eleven-year-old daughter, both with dark black hair and sparkling green eyes.
"Now you be careful," the Father was saying.
"Oh don't be such a bore, Harry," said the Mother, "Have fun darling. That's the most important thing."
"What about homework?" joked the girl.
"If you have time." said the Father.
"Harry!" cried the Mother, "She'll never do it now. You be good, Laura Potter. But not too good. Live a little."
"But don't get in trouble," warned the Father.
The mother scoffed.
"You're one to talk," she said, "She'll be perfectly safe. I checked the charms myself this summer. Or don't you think I do my job well enough, Harry Potter."
My mouth dropped open. This was Harry Potter! The best seeker the English Quidditch team had ever had! They won the Quidditch world cup the same year as he first joined. He was signed up to international teams before local ones. Then again, he was no Morag MacDougal.
I gave my dad a hug goodbye, who told me, "Hope you're in Ravenclaw."
I smiled and get on the train.
"Oh!" called my Dad, as an after thought. "Or Gryffindor I suppose"
I laughed, gave one final wave and shut the door. The train was leaving the station.
I went into the nearest compartment. I didn't want to have to choose between a large group of people who knew each other or a lonely person who might make comments about the colour of my eyes. There was only one person in it, the dark haired girl from the station.
"Hi," I said, "Anyone sitting there?"
"No," said the girl, smiling up at me. "Sit down."
I sat. The girl held her hand out to me.
"I'm Laura Potter," she said "And I don't have my father's scar."
"Lione Davies," I said "And my eyes are really this colour, they're not contacts."
We laughed and spent the next half hour chatting about parents and avoiding the subjects of Quidditch, eyes and scars. We were just having an active conversation about our future lessons when an Asian girl with her hair in two loose plaits poked her head round the door.
"Laura!" she cried, "This is where you're hiding. Me, Sammy and the rest are up front. You coming?"
"Sure," said Laura, "Wait! Jane, this is Lione Davies. Lee, Jane Jordan"
We said hi to each other, then Laura invited me up front with them. They dashed out the door and I was about to follow them when a tall red headed boy came into our compartment, blocking my way. He started to knock on all the walls.
"You're Gregory Weasley," I said "Fred's son, from Weasley Wizarding Wheezes."
He smiled at me and went back to bashing in the walls. I wasn't to be put out though.
"What're you doing?" I asked.
"Can't tell you," he said.
Then as quickly as he came, he was gone. I was slightly shocked but more annoyed that I had to find Jane's compartment all by myself. I went out the door but couldn't go any further because I was once again stopped by Gregory Weasley. He was staring at a small girl with mousy brown hair and the deepest brown eyes I have ever seen. They were making me hungry for Chocolate. There seemed to be a very tense scene going on here. The girl simply looked shocked but Gregory looked positively raging. He was the first to break the silence by basically growling.
"Malfoy."