A/N- So, finally, the first chapter! I'm sorry this took me so long, but I've completely rewritten the plotline and have figured out all the little bothersome things that were bothering me earlier. It's no longer going to be a crossover fic because I've figured it so that it's compliant with this world alone, although you may often see elements of Tolkien's mythology in it. Thanks to all my lovely reviewers, and thanks to Ravensgryff of MNFF for betaing this chapter. I hope you enjoy it. I only own the bits you don't recognize.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Chapter 1- Beginnings

After Sara and her new family left, Laura Riddle sighed, wishing she had a family that would take her home. She was slightly tall for her age, with wavy black hair and sea-grey eyes, dressed in the normal hand-me-downs that most of the orphans wore. Unlike the other orphans, she also wore a white gem around her neck, a gift from her mother before she had died.

After being an orphan for over eleven years, Laura was used to watching others be taken away and to being the one always left behind. She simply did not fit the profile of the 'adoptable' orphan. Most of the people who came to the institution wanted to adopt younger children who could then be raised properly; although Laura technically wasn't one of the older ones, as far back as she could remember, she had been passed over for children younger than herself. Aside from the age problem, she simply did not have the personality that many potential parents looked for. Most people wanted a happy, bright little child like Sara, one who would be glad beyond measure at the prospect of having a family. Laura had always wanted a family, but she was the sort of girl who sat in the corner observing. She was the quiet and brooding type; no one wanted a child like that for fear that she might prove problematic.

Laura got up from her position of the top of the stairs and wandered down the hallway to her room. At this time of day, most of the others were outside playing in the warm July sun, but she never liked their company much and usually stayed inside. She opened the door to a small room - her bedroom ever since she was five. It was at the top of the house, with an old rusted bed that seemingly had been there since the beginning of time, a chest of drawers against one wall that housed practically everything she owned, a battered chair, and a window. This was the best thing about her room, in her opinion, and she often spent hours watching the passersby on the street below. She wondered who they were and where they went that seemed so important. She walked over to the window, pulled over her chair to kneel on, and rested her elbows on the windowsill. As she sat there watching the people outside, she played with her necklace, her thoughts turning to a well-worn path: wondering about her mother and who she was.

The orphanage was all that she could remember, having been born here eleven years ago. When she was younger she would often beg Mrs. Hunts, who had retired a few years ago, for stories of her birth. She smiled slightly as she remembered Mrs. Hunts. A kind woman with no children of her own, she had been like a mother to many of the orphans, taking specific interest in Laura, at whose birth she had been present.

"Mrs. Hunts, why was I left here?" A small solemn-looking girl of six looked at a matronly woman in her fifties who was busy sorting through some paperwork on her desk. The woman glanced up and smiled. Laura was one of her favourites, and Mrs. Hunts was always ready to take time out of her busy schedule to chat with her, although inevitably the girl would ask for her birth story as she always did. But Mrs. Hunts didn't mind in the least, and was always willing to tell the story again if necessary.

"Well", she began for the millionth time as the little girl jumped up on a seat by her desk, her little face rapt with attention. "It was a cold day in December, and I was sitting here in my office, having a cup of tea. The children were all busy playing games, and I was taking a small break to read the paper when I heard a commotion from the entryway. Someone had just helped your mother in because she was going to have you, and they needed my help. But anyway, after you were born your mother told me your name, and told me to give you the very same necklace you're wearing now when you were old enough, because she had been cursed…"

A wide-eyed younger Laura interrupted, despite having heard the story many times. "Did she die?"

"Yes," Mrs. Hunts told her, eyes growing misty with remembrance. "After she gave me the necklace and told me that, she asked me if you would be taken care of here. I told her you would, and then she whispered something to you, and died." She paused for a moment, remembering. "She was so beautiful I would have sworn she was an angel, because when she died, there was a glow around her. But anyway, that's why you're here. We couldn't find your father because we don't know if your surname is your father's or your mother's."

Laura jumped up from her seat, surprising the older woman by giving her a hug. "Mrs. Hunts, I'm glad that you said that you'd take care of me."

Mrs. Hunts smiled at her and returned the hug, then moved back to her paperwork. "Now then, you should run outside while it's still light out."

Laura smiled and waved at her, then left the room to play as suggested.

The present-day Laura smiled at the memory, ignoring the scene outside, and wondered if she should try to visit Mrs. Hunts soon. Mrs. Hunts had retired to a little town on the outskirts of London, and occasionally Miss Amberly let Laura visit her because she knew how close they were, even though it wasn't often that someone could be spared to go with her.

Lost in her thoughts, Laura did not notice a man in a dark blue suit step out of a taxi and walk to the door of the orphanage. She faintly heard the doorbell ring below somewhere, but ignored it. However, she was broken out of her reverie a few moments later when Miss Amberly knocked on the door to tell her that someone had come to visit her.

Sighing, Laura got up from the chair, paused a moment before the mirror on her wall to make sure she looked presentable, then followed Miss Amberly down the long corridor. She descended the stairs, wondering who on earth would have come to see her. She felt slightly apprehensive as she approached the door of Miss Amberly's office, but managed to keep her face calm by thinking of Mrs. Hunts. Whatever happened, she would make sure that she visited Mrs. Hunts.

Laura straightened her shoulders as she walked into the room, where Miss Amberly had taken a seat behind her desk and motioned for Laura to take one of the many seats opposite it. A man sat in one of the other chairs, and watched her with an air of expectation. She sat down in a seat close to Miss Amberly, and waited for Miss Amberly to introduce the stranger.

He was well-dressed and carried a polished briefcase with the initials R. S. embossed on it. He was pale with hair as dark as Laura's own, although straighter, and was somewhat tall. His face carried a nobleness that contrasted somewhat oddly with the normality of his business of attire. But all this aside, it was his eyes that were what struck her the most, because they were her eyes, a light sea grey that, she surmised, probably changed colours with his moods just as hers did.

She was surprised when Miss Amberly said nothing, and after a few moments of silence, the man spoke in a clear strong voice.

"Laura, is it?" She nodded in reply. "Ah, hello Laura, I've come to fetch you. You see, I am your uncle, Richard Syverin, and I was your mother's brother. I've been trying to find you ever since you were born, but I've only now been successful with the help of a friend."

Laura looked at Miss Amberly, a question in her eyes. Miss Amberly smiled gently at her and told her, "He contacted me about a month ago, and we've already worked through the paperwork. I thought it would be best to wait to tell you, just in case something didn't work out, but he received the approval from the courts yesterday, and is your legal guardian now. If you'd like, everything is ready and you can go home today, but if you prefer, you can wait a day or two."

For a moment, she felt unable to breath, her mind reeling with the unexpectedness of this revelation. He was her uncle? Dismay, surprise, and joy all battled in her mind, as she pondered this thought. Of course, she had always considered the possibility, but the only family she had ever considered possible would be the kind foster family that would find her one day, slightly surprised that it had taken them so long to find her, and who would take her home immediately to a home where she would have what she most wanted—a family. She had never really considered the thought that perhaps she had family of her own; after all, if she had they should have found her by now. It wasn't exactly a secret that she was here, as all institutions of this sort were required to keep the requisite paperwork.

But the idea—a family. Yes, it wouldn't be the traditional family she had always considered, with a mother and father and possible siblings, but he had said that he was her mother's brother. Was it worth it? Leaving the security of the only home she had ever know for a new one with someone who said that he was related to her. For all she knew, she could end up like many of the children placed here. The only family they had ever known had been the one thing they had wanted to escape more than anything else. She wanted a family, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to risk that.

But…what if this ended up being everything she had ever dreamed of? Perhaps she wouldn't have the family she had always wanted, but perhaps this could end up being better. Besides, this man could have a family at home, ready to welcome her with open arms…

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, then looked at her lap instead. No, she told herself, he doesn't seem the sort to have children, or even be married for that matter. There were some who you knew immediately had families, it was a warmth, perhaps almost a look, about them. People who didn't deal with children often were just different, not in a bad sort of way, just different. He seemed to be that sort, although he also seemed to have cared enough to have been searching for her. She just didn't know.

But then, she abruptly remembered a conversation she had had with Mrs. Hunts several years ago, when Laura had been rejected yet again as a candidate for adoption.

"Laura, I'm sorry that it didn't work out, but you need to remember that there is someone who will find you someday, and when you meet them, you'll know. I've worked with children like you for a long time, and even though it may seem as though some may never be adopted, in most cases there is a family waiting for them. Just give it time." Mrs. Hunts said as she comforted the crying child.

An upset Laura looked at her in slight disbelief. "But no one never wants me. They always say that I'm too odd."

Mrs. Hunts looked thoughtful as she replied. "Laura, if they didn't want you because they thought that you were "odd", then you were better off not having them. Even though they would have been your family, you would have always felt out of place. Somewhere, there is a family that will find you, a family that will be your family, no matter what."

Funny that this memory should come to her now. Perhaps Mrs. Hunts was right. Even though this man didn't seem the sort to have a family, there was something about him, a certain quietness, that struck her as home. She wasn't sure what it was, but that something told her that he was someone that she would be safe with. Laura drew a deep breath, making her decision in one fateful moment. She looked back up at Miss Amberly and said quietly, "If it's all right, I'd like to go home today." A thought struck her and she added, "But can I visit Mrs. Hunts sometime soon?"

Her uncle laughed and responded kindly, "If you'd like we can visit her on the way."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Laura watched through the window of the taxi as the orphanage moved out of sight. Funny, in a few moments, everything had changed. She wasn't sure why, but she felt sad at leaving. Even though she hadn't had many friends among the other children there, it had been her home for all her eleven years and she knew that even if she didn't miss the people themselves, she would miss the tall stone building that had stood for so many years, unchanged by the passing of time. As they drove through the streets of London, crowded with tourists gawking at the different sights and residents going about their everyday business, she wondered why it had taken her uncle eleven long years to find her, if in fact he had been searching for her so long . She looked over to where he was sitting, shuffling through some papers he had taken from his briefcase, and decided to wait until she knew him better before touching on the subject. Instead, she sat back in her seat and surveyed the sights of London passing before her eyes.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

An older woman sat in the fading light, watching the evening news on her television. She lived in a quiet neighborhood on the outskirts of London, and she liked it that way. Of course as usual, she thought, nothing new was really happening with the world, but she still liked to see what the reporters could make of the minutiae. However, it seemed even they couldn't find anything interesting to report tonight; after flipping through a few channels she switched it off and got up rather creakily to see what she could make into some semblance of supper. She supposed that she should enjoy the quiet of retirement after tending a busy orphanage for most of her life, but she often found that she missed the activity of her former life. As she took some cold potatoes from the refrigerator, she heard her doorbell ring, once, then again after a brief pause. She put the potatoes back, and walked to the front door, wondering who would be coming to call on her. Although she was good friends with most of her neighbors, most of them were on holiday. She unlatched the door and opened it, not without a little trepidation.

There, standing on her doorstep, was Laura Riddle, accompanied by an older man who resembled her somewhat. She smiled at the little girl and exclaimed, "Laura, come in! How are you doing? And who is this you've come with?"

The girl followed her to the living room where a sofa and a few chairs stood by the television. The room, like the house, was little but cozy, decorated in bright, warm colours that seemed to light it up. Laura smiled and as soon as she sat down began speaking happily.

"This is my uncle, Richard Syverin, who came to get me today, and he says that I'm to come live with him. I asked if we could come see you though because I wanted to tell you." She then added as an afterthought. "Uncle, this is Mrs. Hunts, who used to watch after the orphanage. She retired a few years ago."

Laura's uncle reached over to Mrs. Hunts and shook her hand briefly before speaking. "Yes, I've been searching for Laura since I learned of her birth, and it was only recently that I was able to find her with the help of a friend. I was her mother's brother you see, but after my sister left and married Laura's father, we heard nothing from her until I received a letter that she had mailed shortly before she died. She said that she had some difficulty with her husband and was going to London to find a place to raise her child in peace. However, she didn't say where she was going, and all I've had to go on have been the barest of clues."

"I'm very glad for you, Laura. And I'm glad you came because I have neither seen nor heard from you in weeks and I was starting to wonder if you'd forgotten me." As Laura opened her mouth to protest, Mrs. Hunts laughed and smiled at her. "Oh, come now. I know that you'd never forget me. But I am forgetting my manners. Would either of you like some tea?"

Neither of them did, so instead the three talked; it was mostly Laura and Mrs. Hunts talking with Richard throwing in comments occasionally. Before long, it was completely dark and Mrs. Hunts remembered that she hadn't had supper yet.

"Would the two of you like to stay for supper?" She inquired during a break in the conversation.

Richard glanced at the clock on the wall, seeming surprised at how quickly the time passed and shook his head. "No," he answered her. "I didn't realize that it was getting this late so quickly. I ought to get Laura home so that she can get settled in. Thank you for letting us intrude upon your hospitality for so long." He stood and Laura and Mrs. Hunts followed suit.

"It's no bother. Well then," said Mrs. Hunts as she showed them to the door, "I am glad that you stopped by to see me and I do hope that you'll again. I'm very glad for you, Laura, and I hope you'll be happy." She smiled and gave the young girl a quick hug, but then noticed that the taxi was still waiting. "Oh dear, has your taxi been waiting all this time? I'm sorry for keeping you so long."

"It's no mind," Mr. Syverin answered. "The taxi man's a friend of mine and I told him that it might be a while. Besides, we have to get home somehow."

Mrs. Hunts stood in the doorway of her home and watched as Laura and her uncle walked down the path to the street. Laura turned and waved farewell, and Mrs Hunts returned the gesture. She watched as the two got into the taxi, which started up and drove away down the street. With a sigh, she closed the door, latched it and walked back to her kitchen. Time to see about those potatoes, she thought.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Laura watched as the small house quickly shrank from sight and was puzzled when the taxi driver took them back into London.

"I thought you said that her house would be on the way," she asked her uncle questioningly.

"It is," he replied mysteriously.

"But we're going back into London, and it can't be on the way if we're going back the way we came," she insisted.

"You'll see when we get there," her uncle replied again. Sensing that she wasn't going to get any more out of him than that, she turned back towards the window and amused herself by watching the scenes that passed.

After a while, the taxi slowed and stopped in the middle of a shopping district.

"Here we are," her uncle announced. He opened the door, and as Laura stepped out onto the pavement where the suitcase that housed her belongings had already been deposited, she looked around, her confusion increasing drastically. She wondered why on earth they had stopped here; there was nothing but stores. It didn't make sense.

Once her uncle paid the driver and talked to him for a little while, he joined her on the sidewalk and the taxi drove off. He picked up her suitcase and strode towards a small shop of some sort bearing the ominous name of "The Leaky Cauldron". Laura marched alongside him. However before they reached the door, he stopped and turned to her as if remembering something.

"I should probably tell you this now before we go any farther. You are going to see quite a few things that are beyond anything that you have ever imagined, and I'll explain it to you fully as soon as we get home. But for now, just understand and accept this one statement, as it is the explanation for everything you will see. You are a witch."

And with this odd and rather portentous statement, he entered the building and she followed, wondering what on earth he meant.