A/n: I don't own Harry Potter. Is anyone else having difficulty uploading chapters using Safari? This chapter is based on a true story, the names have been omitted to protect those involved.
Pre-Hogwarts
Chapter 7
Early August, 1988
The month before Leilani and Jocelyn were to board the Hogwarts Express for the first time they returned to the camp where they had met, three years earlier. It was a warm day in late summer. Jo had gone inside to talk to someone, Leilani opting to stay outside on the tan and red plastic jungle-gym with her newest book, which after tucking her short brown hair behind a pierced ear she picked up and flipped open to a marked page.
After a short time Leilani looked up from her page and saw a little girl being ganged up on by boys twice her size.
Putting her book down and going down the attached slide she marched over and, hands on her hips, sternly told the boys, "Stop picking on someone who can't fight back!"
Later she would realize, that that was probably the wrong thing to say since the leader of the bullies came up behind her and forced her to her hands and knees in the grass.
The boy sat on her back, hands fisted in her tresses as if she were a horse whose mane he was gripping to keep from falling off. Leilani rolled forward to dislodge the boy and to get him to release his death grip on her hair.
Unfortunately, when he let go of her hair, he grabbed her by the neck instead so that when she rolled over, she took him with her.
"Stella…" She gasped, fighting against the hands around her throat, "Go find Jo!" The little girl, Stella, scrambled to her feet and ran inside to find Jocelyn. One moment the girl was gone and the next Jo had grabbed the boy by the back of his shirt collar and pulled him off Leilani, who promptly sat up and inhaled deeply while rubbing her throat.
Jo tossed the boy onto the concrete and turned a murderous glare on the others. "Scram!" she growled between clenched teeth.
As the boys scattered Jo turned back to the ringleader on the grass. Jo advanced and he scrambled backwards, watching her like she was a wild animal about to strike.
"You think it's fun, huh? Picking on people?" Her lip curled, "Of course it's fun. It's not like they can fight back, can they? They're weak. You need to put them in their place." She smiled, and it was the most frightening thing he'd ever seen in his short life. "If you ever pick on anyone again, I'll know and I'll be the one who has fun." The boy got up and ran, and Jo turned back to Leilani.
"You alright, Leili?" she asked, her voice softer and concerned, looking her over and seeing only a red mark circling her neck.
"Yeah," Leilani answered, "I don't think he is, though."
A/n: I'd like to thank the four people who've followed or favourited this story, It's really nice to know that you guys are reading and that you do like it. 2 more chapters to go until we arrive at Hogwarts!