A couple of weeks into my last summer vacation I was sitting at the breakfast table when I heard a ticking coming from the window behind me. I turned around to see an owl pecking at the glass. I got up and walked over to open the window. The owl hopped onto the ledge and I took an envelope addressed to me from its beak. The brown barn owl immediately turned around and flew away.

My hands were shaking. I knew exactly what this was, my exam results. My heart was beating a thousand miles a minute. I turned the envelope over, something slipped from my grip and it the floor. I looked down to see another, smaller envelope on the floor.

I saw the small red Hogwarts seal on the back. I picked it up and read the address:

Mr. Sean Winston

Second Floor Bedroom

62 Alford Road

Cranleigh

Surrey

"Sean!" I yelled, dropping my own envelope on the table. "Sean come down here, now!"

Louis came racing down the stairs. "What did he do? Are you going to kill him? Did he read your diary again?"

"Nothing…what do you mean read my diary again?" I asked. "When did he…nevermind, it's not important. SEAN COME DOWN HERE!"

My dad came walking down the stairs. "What's wrong Ruby. Is this about the diary? Your mother and I already scolded him for that."

"Why does everyone know about this but me?" I asked. "I haven't even kept a diary since I turned 14."

"Sean!" I said, beginning to look in different rooms.

"I didn't do it." Sean said, timidly peaking around a corner.

"Sean, you got mail." I said, handing him the envelope.

"Mail doesn't come this early." He said skeptically.

"Oh my goodness!" I said, pinning the envelope to his chest. "JUST READ IT!"

He examined the envelope for a few seconds before looking up at me with his eyes wide. "REALLY?"

He ripped open the envelope and removed the folded parchment inside and read aloud. "Dear Mr. Winston! We are pleased to inform you that you have a place 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 reply by muggle mail no later than 31 July! I'M A WIZARD!"

He took off like a flash of lighting, arms in the air, letter and envelope clutched tightly in his hands.

Louis and Sean spent the rest of the afternoon plotting out how to make the most out of Sean's new magical education. Sean was to obtain every interesting sounding magical product.

"If there is something that makes ear hair grow really fast, you have to get it." Louis said.

Sean nodded his head in agreement and added it to their growing list.

I was sitting in a nearby chair pretending to read a book as I listened to their conversation. "You know, you don't get to go to Hogsmeade until you're in third year and I don't think mum or dad will buy any of these things in Diagon Alley."

Both boys slouched with disappointment.

A few days later, I was again seated at the breakfast table when there was a tapping on the window. I turned around to see a different owl with a letter held in its beak.

I opened the window and it jumped inside and stood on the counter. I took the letter and the bird hopped out of the window.

I looked down at the letter. The writing was rather elegant. I turned it over to see an acid green seal reading: 'Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries'.

My heart stopped and I ripped open the envelope.

Dear Miss Winston,

I am pleased to inform you of your acceptance into the Healer training program at Saint Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

The program begins 1 August. An official robe and supplies will be assigned upon arrival. Temporary housing will be available upon request.

Congratulations,

Octavius Trimble

Head Healer

I immediately raced up to my room where I began writing a letter expressing my intent to begin Healer training. I also included that I would be interested in the temporary housing until I could find a flat in London. I was certain I wouldn't have time in the next two weeks to find a suitable place to live.

I signed my name at the bottom but I felt as though I was missing something. There was no one gloating about how he was right to say I had nothing to worry about.

I looked over at the snow globe still sitting on my bedside table where Sean had put it weeks before. The unicorn galloped around, his hooves making a light clinking noise.

I told myself for the hundredth time that what I did was for the best. I couldn't keep him and I didn't want to hurt him.

Why couldn't you keep him?

This question had replayed over and over in my mind and I couldn't think of a good reason which really upset me. Had I really allowed the wishes of someone else to make my decision for me?

It was too late now. Perhaps with time, Severus' absence would become easier to accept.

I went back downstairs to find an envelope and hopefully find something to distract myself from my mental conflict. It only took a minute to find an envelope. I folded up the letter I had just finished writing to St. Mungo's and stuffed it in the envelope which I addressed to Octavius Trimble. I placed the letter on the china cabinet in the dining room and went in search of distraction.

I settled on cleaning the kitchen. Sean and Louis were living life to the fullest during their break and couldn't be bothered to clean up after their breakfast. Toast crumbs stuck to the strawberry jam that Louis had left smeared on the counter, the knife he had used was sitting on the edge of the sink. The box of cereal that had held Sean's breakfast was still sitting on the table next to the milk he had poured into it, his bowl sat in between the two. The carton of orange juice lay tipped on its side, drained of liquid.

I picked up Sean's bowl and placed it in the sink along with two juice glasses and the jam covered knife. I put the milk back into the refrigerator and the cereal went back into the cabinet. I picked up the orange juice container. I let out an irritated groan as I realized it was resting in a pool of spilled juice.

I threw the carton into the sink and picked up a rag to sop up the mess. It had soaked into various papers on the table including the morning newspaper and Sean's book list. I hung the list over the sink faucet where it continued to drip. I threw the paper into the garbage I picked up the large envelope that had been delivered with Sean's Hogwarts letter. I had never opened it. I was now soaked in juice.

I found myself much less anxious now that I knew I had been accepted into the healer training program. I sat in a dining chair and ripped open the seal, pulled out the sheet of parchment, skipped over all the foreword nonsense and went straight to the results:

Herbology- O

Transfiguration-O

Charms- O

Potions-O

Defense Against the Dark Arts-O

See? Nothing to worry about. I could almost hear Severus' voice.

I put the letter back on the table and continued to clean.

That weekend we made the trip as a family to Diagon Alley. It was a much happier and busier place than when I had been there a year before. Sean and Louis ran excitedly down the street joining the other kids with noses pressed against the shop windows.

My parents were heading for Gringott's to exchange more muggle money to buy some of the things on his list. A few of the text books were the same as when I was a first year so I let him have my old copies. He was reading through my History of Magic textbook like it was the most thrilling thing he had ever read. I had never seen him pick up a book during a summer holiday, much less a textbook.

"Sean, Louis, keep up." My mother called back to them.

I watched them peel themselves away from the Magical Menagerie window and drag their feet to follow.

"I'm going to head to the owl post and get this sent off." I said, holding up the letter to St. Mungo's. "I'll meet you at Madam Malkin's."

I walked up to the post and chose a rather large barn owl color marked for short distance delivery. I dropped a knut in the pouch tied to his leg. I handed him the letter.

I always felt a little silly talking to owls but they always seemed to understand so I said, "This needs to go to Octavius Trimble at St. Mungo's."

The own seemed to nod and took the letter from my hand before taking flight. I watched him disappear into the sky.

I turned around and wandered a bit. I didn't think my parents would be done at the bank yet. I decided to browse Slug and Jiggers Apothecary. I was running low on a few potions supplies and I wasn't sure if I would need to provide my own at St. Mungo's or not.

I walked into the shop and was it with the slightly acrid smell of fresh potions. The aroma of brewing potions had become a comfort over the past months but now the smell made my stomach turn. I ignored the feeling of regret washing over me and continued to a central display shelf holding glass vials and jars of different ingredients.

I was inspecting a small jar of Wolfsbane when the bell over the shop door jingled, alerting the entrance of another customer. I turned the bottle over to look at the price, I scoffed when I saw they wanted an entire Galleon. I quickly put the jar back on the shelf and stood up to find myself looking straight into a pair of black eyes.

I gasped and jumped backwards, crashing into a number of shelves, sending their contents falling to the floor where a number of bottles shattered.

Severus sneered at me from behind a curtain of black hair. I pulled my wand from my robes.

The shop worker, an elderly man with thick glasses and white hair, emerged from the backroom. His magnified eyes swept over the shop and stopped once they landed on us. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Reparo." Severus said. The bottles mended themselves around their contents and floated back to the shelves that were straightening themselves.

"I apologize." He said, turning his attention to the worker. "She has always been quite…destructive."

"You remember me?" I asked, not really understanding how the spell I had cast would have worked.

"You were the worst student I had." He said. "You destroyed several vails of mine and spent a month in detention. No matter how hard I try, I don't think I'll be able to forget."

My heart sank. Somehow Severus only remembering the negative things about me was much, much worse than him not remembering me at all.

Severus curled his lip in disgust at me, placed the vial in his hand back onto the shelf, and exited the shop. I was left alone, my heart pounding like mad in my chest.

I noticed that the shop worker was still standing in the doorway and had witnessed that exchange. I felt my cheeks go red and I turned to leave the shop.

I re-entered the busy street. I walked to Madam Malkin's and pushed open the door to the shop. I saw Sean standing on one of the platforms being fitted with a black robe.

"Which house do you want to be in?" I heard the fitting woman ask.

"I want to be in Ravenclaw like my sister was." Sean said, staring at the mirror admiring how he looked in his new wizard's robe.

"What about your parents?" She asked. "What houses were they in?"

"Oh, they didn't go to Hogwarts." Sean said, matter of factly. "They're maggies."

The fitter looked up, confused.

"Muggles." I corrected, as I stepped up next to him.

"Two wizards from one non-magic family," She said. "That is something."

Sean insisted on wearing one of his new sets of robes when it was time to leave the shop. We entered the bustling streets of Diagon Alley once again. I was setting off at good speed over to Olivander's since that was what Sean wanted to do next.

"Ruby!" I heard Sean call out to me. "Dad said I can get an owl!"

I stopped and spun, colliding with something hard and falling to the cobbles.

"I'm so sorry." I apologized, only to realize that the thing I crashed into was Severus. He must have been buying potion ingredients because they had strewn over the ground.

"Ruby, are you okay?" Sean asked as he rushed to my side.

"Fine." I said, crawling to my knees to help Severus pick up his vials.

"Are you set to completely ruin my life, Miss Winston?" He asked. "I thought I was rid of you when you left Hogwarts but I see you have no intention of leaving me be."

"I really am sorry." I said. "It's not my intention to…"

"Spare me." He said, ripping a bottle from my hand.

Severus stood up and tucked the vials away into his robes before sneering at Sean and I and disappearing into the crowd.

"Well, he's very rude." Sean said, helping me up. "Who was that?"

"That," I said, dusting myself off. "Is your Potions Master."