Chapter 1 - Prologue

24th July 1998

My name is Noelle James. I am 11 years old. I suppose I have started to write this diary because I feel alone. My parents are away all the time, and I don't know what they are doing, but every time they come home, it is with new cut, and bruises. Sometimes worse. It hurts me so much, to think that they care so much about their work, but not about me. I have always just had to get on with it, do things on my own. I am starting High School in September, just a few weeks away. We haven't even bought my new uniform yet, they just don't seem to care. When I see other kids with their parents, buying school equipment, new uniforms, and school bags for the new year, it makes me feel so jealous. Come to think of it, I don't even know which high school I am going to...

Noelle put down her pen, and sighed, her ink-stained fingers wiping a tear away from her smooth, pale cheeks. She was a pretty girl, quite short, with a heart shaped face, long, frizzy, dark brown hair, and big dark brown eyes. She was very thin, thanks to all the sports that she had played since she was little. Her parents had always arranged for her to do lots of activities. Probably in an attempt to distract Noelle from the fact that they were always away. She also read a lot, and her room was full of books. But they had all been read one time too many.

She pushed her frizzy hair off her face, and secured it with an elastic. Then she heard the door open. They were home again. She wondered how they had driven the car in quite so quietly... then dismissed it from her mind.

Noelle ran down the stairs and to the front door, where her parents were standing, huddled in long coats, coats, they looked more like cloaks... Noelle ran to her father, who had a long cut down his right cheek, and her mother, who seemed to be sporting a broken arm. Noelle's eyes started to fill with tears again.

As her parents greeted her, there was a loud rapping on the glass of the window. Noelle's mother's head snapped to face Noelle's father.

"George, it must be a letter, what do you think has happened?"

Noelle felt confused, how could someone rapping on the window mean that there was a letter?

Her father walked to the window, and opened it. A screech owl flew in. Noelle's mouth dropped open, what on earth was an owl doing in the house?

"It's from... Oh good heavens! Yes! Mary, we must tell her, she's been accepted..."

Noelle's mother's features lit up with happiness, as she snatched the letter from her husband with her good hand.

"You're right!" she gasped "Noelle, come into the kitchen with us, we've got something very important to tell you"

Noelle felt surprised

"Mummy, it's half past one in the morning!"

"I know darling, but this is very important."

Noelle followed her parents into the kitchen, and sat down at the table. She looked into their eyes, they were serious, but happy. What was going on?

"Noelle, there is something you must understand. Do you know how when you are angry, or frightened, weird things sometimes happen?" George said

"Yes Dad, but that's just accidents"

"No darling, those things aren't just accidents at all. They are magical."

"Magical?"

"Yes, because you, and me, and your Mum, are all wizards and witches!"

Noelle's mouth hung open for the second time that night.

"I'm a witch?"

"Yes, you are, and we're very proud of you"

Noelle had a million questions to ask, but she asked the one she thought was most important.

"Why did you only tell me now?"

"Because you have been accepted to join Hogwarts, the magical school for witches and wizards! It's wonderful!"

Noelle sighed, now, at last, her parents were interested in her.

As she approached Platform 9¾, Noelle was once again flabbergasted. She couldn't believe all the stuff she had found out in only a few weeks. She was a witch, she was going to magic school, and there was a terrible, evil wizard called Voldemort.

She suddenly felt, when her parents had bidden her farewell, and left, very, very alone. She didn't know anyone here, she had no friends, and hardly knew the first thing about magic.

She wheeled her trunk up to the train, and started trying to get the heavy thing into the train. She had struggled for about 10 minutes, when a boy her own age came up to her and asked her

"Do you want a hand?"

Noelle nodded and together they heaved the trunk into the train. She then took a closer look at the boy who had helped her. He was about her own age, skinny, had black, messy hair, and bright green eyes. There was also a curious scar on his forehead.

"Come on," he said cheerily, "I'll help you find a compartment, I don't have one either!"

"What's your name?" Noelle asked, as they walked down the train, peering into compartments, trying to find one that wasn't full.

"Harry Potter" he replied, smiling, "What's yours?"

"Noelle James, it's nice to meet you Harry"

"OOH! Look, here's one, he said, entering a compartment.

Harry started talking about Hogwarts, he seemed to know as little as she did, despite the fact that she was from a magical family.

"My parents didn't tell me until I got my letter," she explained to him "You see, my uncle is a squib, and my cousin isn't magical either, they didn't want to tell me until they were sure."

"Ah," Harry nodded his head, "I understand. Well, my aunt and uncle were trying everything to stop me getting my letter!"

"Why!" Noelle gasped

"Oh, they didn't want me to end up like my parents... and I think they are a bit scared of me!"

"What do you mean? End up like your parents?" Noelle asked, curious.

Harry's eyes darkened, "My mum and dad were killed by Voldemort... he attacked me too, but I survived somehow... I don't know how... I was 1 year old"

"Oh Harry, I'm... I'm really sorry" Noelle said mournfully, she hadn't even known this boy half an hour, but she felt a strong bond with him. After all, she too had, effectively, no parents. She knew the feeling of being wanted by no-one.

It was at this point that a tall boy, with bright red hair, lots of freckles, and a smear of dirt on the end of his nose, poked his head into the compartment, and asked if he could sit with them. He then introduced himself as "Ron Weasley"

About an hour later all three of them were firm friends. Ron turned out to be an expert on the magical world, having been brought up with a magical family. Noelle and Harry asked so many questions that Ron looked a little overwhelmed. What did surprise Noelle, was Ron's reaction to Harry. He seemed to think that Harry was a celebrity.

A while later, a girl with honey brown curls entered the compartment. She was looking for a toad. She stayed. She was called Hermione Granger.

After the sorting, the four, now all Gryffindors, went up to their dormitories, very tired.

1st September 1998

I have never been so happy in all my 11 years! Oh... I have 3 friends, Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Harry is so nice. He is very like me. I am so tired, and I am so happy that I got into Gryffindor. It would have been unbearable if I was separated from my friends as soon as I made friends with them! Oh well, I suppose I should go to sleep. Hogwarts is AMAZING!