Alexandra Parker sighed softly while standing next to her bedroom window. Her arms crossed as she stared at the scene before her in sadness. Green and silver balloons and other similarly colored party decorations littered her family's front lawn. Pictures of her brother from different ages smiling and waving as the invited guests came in to their home. Her parents stood at the front door with her twin brother to greet guests. They beamed with pride at their second eldest child.

Today was her seventeenth birthday and she knew there would be no celebration for her. All the banners only had her twin brother's name.Her family made sure to completely block her name from the party. Normal witches and wizards her age would have a huge party but not her. This witch was the family outcast in every sense of the word.

The problem with her family started the day she was sorted into the "wrong" house at Hogwarts. After centuries of Parkers being in Slytherin, she was sorted to Gryffindor. Even at a young age, she knew this was nothing to be proud of. She remembered begging and crying to Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape to place her in Slytherin. They wouldn't budge. The sorting hat does not make mistakes. Unfortunately, they didn't know the extent a hat would change her life.

Her parents never attempted to hide their disgust from something she had no control over. After her parents were given word of her "betrayal" they didn't write to her for the whole school year. They only wrote to her twin brother, Thomas. In the letters there was never any mention of Alexandra. It was as if she fell off the face of the Earth.

The summer after her first year was the absolute worst. Her father was sure that her mother cheated on him. They started to fight constantly. Her twin brother blamed her for their parent's marriage nearly collapsing. Chelsea remembered being taken to St. Mungo's by her parents. A simple genetics test proved that her father and her were related.

Their disgust for their child continued for years while she was under their roof. Gone were the days of any fun family activities. No more birthday or holiday celebrations. During the Christmas holidays, she went to different friend's homes to avoid being with her family. This past Christmas she celebrated with the Wood family. His family took her with open arms.

The summertime was a different story. Her family forced her to come home to remind her of their hatred. She was to stay locked up in her room. The house elves served her meals. They talked to the girl out of pity. She would go shopping for her own school supplies alone. Some days she was lucky to run into her friends. Her parents didn't care about her wellbeing and never watched after her. Gone were the days her twin brother would spend time together. Her whole family ensured that she would know she wasn't wanted. She truly felt that her life stopped at eleven years old.

A soft knock on the door drew her away from her sad thoughts. Alexandra could feel her heart stop. A small glimmer of hope came to the surface. The knock was soft as if a house elf was paying her a visit. She walked to the door and opened it. The house elf, Colbey, stood at the doorway with a slice of cake and a small bag in her hands.

"Happy birthday, misses," she smiled warmly and walked inside. Alexandra quickly closed the door behind them.

"Colbey, you didn't have to. You know you aren't allowed to be up here if there are guests," the teenager sighed and took a seat on her bed. Colbey was a petite little thing with a fierce love for the outcast. Her blue eyes appeared as if she had been crying. They were more watery than normal.

"Is everything okay?" Alexandra asked her softly.

"Yes, miss, Colbey wanted to bring a cake and a gift," Colbey squeaked not looking the human in the eyes. Alexandra placed the plate of cake on the bed and patted the spot next to her. Colbey smiled and climbed on to the bed.

"Split this with me," she used the fork to cut the cake evenly between the two. Colbey's eyes widened at the generous offer. The house elf was never offered birthday cake before. She shakily took the fork and ate it slowly to relish the taste. The witch smiled only taking a small piece of her own.

"Eat the rest of mine, Colbey," she instructed her.

"But, miss, I-"

"Today is my birthday, Colbey, and I want you to eat this,"

The timid house elf continued to eat the slice of cake relishing every bite of the sweet dessert. A knock on her door drew the pair's attention. This knock was a lot stronger than a house elf's knock.

"Colbey," the scared teen whispered harshly. Colbey grabbed the tiny package for Alexandra and shoved it in her pocket. She could of sworn she saw tears threatening to fall from the house elf's eyes. Colbey grabbed the plate and fork. The house elf looked at her once more and vanished.

"Come in," she called remaining seated on her bed. The thought of her parents possibly trying to repair their relationship crossed her mind. She was an adult starting today. Even after everything they did to her she wanted things to go back to when she was a little girl. Maybe they could all act civil to each other. Another knock on her door prompted her to call out that they were welcomed to her room.

"Come in," she called out. Her door opened revealing her mother and father. Chelsea didn't remember the last time her parents came in to her room. Chelsea shifted on her bed to get a better look at her parents. They had the same stoic look on their faces. Her mother's nose raised high showing she wasn't amongst equals.Her long slender fingers cradling a stack full of letters. Her parents usually held the letters from her friends hostage. Her father had a stern grip on his cane. They told her the stress from her "rebellions" in first year made him weak. Alexandra hated that cane. She was beaten with it quite a bit.

"Alexandra, even after the shame you brought on this family we have fed you and gave you a roof over your head," her mother started tapping the letters against her hand. She paced the room and stood in front of the fireplace. Alexandra gulped not liking the direction of this conversation already.

"I... I... Thanks?"

"You are now seventeen years old and as such an adult. We are now no longer bound by law to be caring for you for free. Do you have any financial means to be able to afford living here?" Her mother asked stiffly. Alexandra's face turned pale as a sick feeling started to bubble in her gut. She gasped at the question.

"Of course not. You don't allow me outside of my room. I start school in like two weeks. I can't get a job and go to school," she answered still unable to comprehend the situation. The older woman scoffed and turned to her husband.

"See, unreasonable and dramatic, just as expected," she rolled her eyes as if her demands weren't outlandish. Her mother stared at her father. She was the ruler of this house with her father never saying much. The father pointed at the letters in her hand. The woman turned to look at her once more.

"Maybe you can ask your friends that have been writing to you for help. Penelope Clearwater is it? Is thst the mudblood or half breed?" She questioned and threw some of the letters into the fireplace. The fire quickly catching on to them. Alexandra gulped seeing the letters that she could never read burn to a crisp.

"Or the blood traitor Weasley boy? Honestly how much do you like embarrassing this family?" She asked once again throwing some more letters into the fireplace. This time her mother had more force. The stack of letters was still huge in her mother's hands. A sick smile on her mother's face. Even if Alexandra wanted to try and save the letters her father's cane would stop her.

"Or maybe this Oliver Wood boy. He seems quite fond of you. Actually seems quite heartbroken that you haven't messaged him back. Don't worry. Thomas wrote to him for you. A pity he now thinks you two aren't together anymore," her mother threw the rest of the letters into the fireplace. Alexandra's breath was stuck in her throat.

Oliver Wood was sorted in the same year as her to Gryffindor. He was always there for her when she needed a friend the most. He helped her during her first year of adjustment to Hogwarts. He was there for her when Penelope was petrified. The Quidditch Keeper made sure she was comfortable even while his world was falling around him with the cancelation of Quidditch. Now he would probably never speak to her again. The thought of Oliver hating her made her want to faint. Thomas and Oliver hated each other. She couldn't imagine what her twin brother could have possibly wrote to him.

"Mother, these are my friends. They are the only people that take me in. Why?" She asked as tears started to slide down her red cheeks. She had to tell her friends to stop sending her gifts because her parents went through her mail. Plenty of her birthday gifts magically vanished and her letters were opened. Her parents never authorized Thomas to send out a fake letter from her before though. Alexandra was never allowed to send messages out to anyone. Her owl was locked in a cage in a different room. Hopefully Oliver remembered this.

"With your inability to pay and your poor choices in friends we request your removal from this home immediately," her mother requested and crossed her arms completely ignoring her child's question.

"And do not think of making a scene. You are never too old for a proper caning," her father opened the door to her bedroom.

"We will have Thomas go through your possessions. Upon inspection we will give you what is properly yours. We don't trust you to not steal," her father released the harsh words into the air. Alexandra's mouth felt dry. She was homeless and going to start her last year of school with no supplies.

"Can I at least have my wand? Sirius Black escaped Azkaban and I would like to put up a fight before dying," she exaggerated only hearing the news from the house elves.Colbey was scared of him while the others figured they would be safe in the home. Sirius Black was the first wizard to ever escape Azkaban. Witches and wizards alike were on high alert. Dementors were released in the wizarding world in search for him.

"Whatever gets you out of here quicker," the cruel mother shrugged. Alexandra grabbed her wand and placed it in her jeans pocket. She rushed past the two of them afraid her father will decide to hit her with a cane. She closed the door quickly behind her. Colbey watched her from the top of the staircase with sadness. The young woman was the only one that was ever nice to the house elves.

"It feels great to be the only child. Let Wood know I will be looking for him this year. The Quidditch field and school won't be safe for him," Thomas confided to his twin sister once she stepped to the bottom of the staircase. The words cut her like a knife but she pressed on. His threat settling uneasily on her mind. Oliver shouldn't suffer because of her. The front door opened for her upon her arrival and shut with a slam as soon as she stepped outside.The door locked signaling she was never to be accepted back.

Alexndra walked away from her only home wondering what to do next. Her heart ached as sobs escaped her lips. Thoughts of Oliver Wood continued to pop in her head. She needed him now more than ever yet she didn't know what they were now. All her fears and worries were gone when she was with him. His aura healed hers. Alexandra didn't know how long she was walking until she noticed it was nighttime. She came up with a plan and hoped it would work.

Standing by a street she pulled out her wand. Within seconds a purple triple decker bus appeared before her. A sigh of relief escaped her lips.

"Where we going? The conductor asked as soon as the door opened.

"The Leaky Cauldron,"