New York City was much different from London. There were huge buildings that were called skyscrapers in the Manhattan borough. Kate said the view from the tallest one was spectacular, but both Rebecca and Isabelle had been higher than it on brooms.

On the ride to Kate's house, she and Isabelle engaged in a number of topics both muggle and wizarding world. Sometimes both. However, Rebecca was quiet the entire ride. She looked out the window. Muggles were everywhere. Walking, talking, eating, playing music, some fighting, yelling, begging, on their phones. It looked like chaos and if things continued to stay bad back home, she would have to live in this even longer.

"Is that true, Rebecca?" Kate asked.

"Huh?" Rebecca snapped out of her thoughts.

"Did you win an award in the Charms club?"

"Um. Yeah. That's right." Rebecca said quietly and turned back to the window. Rebecca was one of the best at Charms in her class back at Hogwarts. She was taught by Professor Flitwick from first to third year.

Then her father took over as Charms Master and taught her fourth year. It seemed that Charms ran in the family although Ray, Rebecca's older brother, was terrible at anything but quidditch. Isabelle was well rounded, but adored Care of Magical Creatures.

They arrived to Kate's house. It was an apartment complex called The Luna Apartments in Queens.

"Here we are." Kate said as she pulled out the luggage. They headed up to the fourth floor, the highest level. Apartment 416. Kate opened the front door and let in the girls before closing it back. "Welcome to my home."

It was a lovely scene. A kitchen with an island. The countertops had a white marble finish. The cabinets were a light stained wood. The living room was beside it with a large comfy sofa facing a big rectangular thing Rebecca recognized as a television. There was a coffee mug and a stack of papers with a muggle pencil on the coffee table.

"Oooh!" Isabelle said. She ran over to a picture that was hanging on the wall. It was a bridge with two identical towers. "That's a cool picture."

"I took that picture when I was about sixteen." Kate said. "I took it three days before they fell. I submitted it to a newspaper and they declined it. A few days after, they called offering ten thousand dollars."

"Wow." Isabelle said, still looking at the picture. Rebecca was intrigued by the story, but she didn't bother to go look at the picture. Instead, she asked Kate, "Where's the bedroom?"

Kate seemed reluctant to speak, but said, "Down the hallway and to the left. You two will have to share it."

Rebecca grabbed her luggage and headed to the bedroom. She had been eager to get some alone time. She enjoyed the company of her sister, and she didn't hate Kate nor even disliked her. She just wanted to collect her thoughts without all of the distractions.

She opened the bedroom door and was welcomed to two twin beds on either side of the room. One had pink bed covers while the other had purple. Kate had done her homework on Rebecca and Isabelle and got their favorite colors.

Rebecca placed her luggage onto the purple bed and unzipped it. Inside it were her Hogwarts Slytherin robes. She wouldn't be able to use them at the new school unfortunately. Over the years she had slowly began to feel like she belonged in the house whereas to start with, she was scared. Her father was a Hufflepuff and done good things during the Second Wizarding War while at school. He had enlisted himself into Dumbledore's Army and fought alongside the Golden Trio known as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger.

And now the new war had put him in a position to fight alongside them again. In short, he had made Hufflepuff house proud. Rebecca's brother was sorted into Gryffindor. He too was looked up with high expectations and delivered on quidditch as a Keeper. Then Rebecca was sorted into Slytherin and it felt more like a burden than anything else. Isabelle was without a doubt, sorted into Hufflepuff and Rebecca was quite sure her sister packed her canary yellow and black robes as well.

Rebecca placed her robes off to the side and pulled out a picture frame of her and her family taken only eight months ago during Christmas.

In the middle was her father with a clean shaven face and glasses. Blue eyes, like Isabelle but black hair much like Rebecca's. It was cut really short.

To his right was Rebecca's mother, Valèrie. The French blonde and blue eyed woman was smiling and then turning to kiss her husband's cheek every so often. Unlike the muggles, wizard pictures could move.

In front of them were their three children. Ray had shaggy black hair and blue eyes. It seemed Rebecca was the only one in the family who did not have blue eyes. Even Kate had that same misty blue color. Rebecca had green.

Beside Valèrie was her sister Aimèe. It was because of her that Valèrie and Anthony got together. To Anthony's other side were two more people who were younger than him, but older than Rebecca. A black haired woman named Bella Crossfire was Rebecca's adopted sister. Anthony and Valèrie took her in when she had discovered her parents were murdered by Death Eaters during the Second Wizarding War. Bella was a muggle-born on the run at the time.

The other person was Blake Deese, Rebecca's godbrother and Aimèe's son. His father was Anthony's best friend at Hogwarts but he had died during the Battle of Hogwarts while Aimèe was pregnant.

Apart from Isabelle, Rebecca was very close with Blake. He had taught her a lot about life and in Rebecca's opinion, a better brother than Ray would ever be.

She put the picture to the side and found what she was looking for. Her diary.

She opened it up to the first blank page. It was very hard to fine seeing as she had just started using it. Blake had made it a suggestion the last time they saw each other. Rebecca began writing in it the day before they left London. However, she forgot two things. An ink bottle and quill. She snaked her forehead, feeling like an idiot.

She was interrupted anyways by a knock on the door and Kate opened it. "Hey." She said before closing the door behind her. "I was hoping I could talk to you for a minute in private? I have Isabelle preoccupied with one of my portfolios."

Rebecca put the diary on the bedside table before sitting on her bed. "What is there to talk about?"

Kate didn't respond immediately. Instead, she sat down on Isabelle's bed and faced Rebecca, but looked down at the floor. Kate must had been thinking hard about what to say, whatever it was. She finally spoke.

"I know it's tough for you to be away from your parents like this. From all of your family and friends." Kate paused, either trying to think about what to say next or to see if Rebecca would have anything to say to that statement. Kate continued however.

"Just remember why you came. Your sister needs you now more than ever. She may not show it, but I bet she also feels alone and maybe even afraid. She's going to look to you for all the answers to her questions."

Kate paused again, this time Rebecca was sure Kate wanted to hear what she had to say. Rebecca spoke up, "I know she needs me, but I need someone too."

Kate didn't show any reaction to what Rebecca said other than biting her nail. She must had been thinking again. She finally said, "I know you and I barely know each other, and I may not be able to connect with you on the magical level, but I'm here for you if you need someone to talk to."

Rebecca knew Kate meant it sincerely, but it was too difficult for her to simply say she would be happy to tell Kate all of her problems and what if she relayed them to her father through letter? She didn't want anyone back home to be worried about her.

"Thank you." Rebecca said flatly. "But I think I'm fine."

Kate nodded, understanding not to push herself onto Rebecca. She got up patted her shoulder, "Well, lunch will be ready in a few. Not sure what you magic people like to eat, but I'm making hot dogs. Simple stuff."

"Isabelle is a vegetarian." Rebecca said quickly just before Kate got to the door.

"Oh yeah, I know. Your mother was really detailed in those types of things. I'm making her a salad." Kate smiled and left the room at once. Rebecca turned to grab the photograph when Kate came back in the room. "Here. I think you might find this useful." She handed Rebecca the pencil from the living room.

"Thanks." Rebecca said half-embarrassed.

"No problem. And you can keep it. I've got a hundred of them." Kate left the room for good.

Rebecca took her diary and opened it to the first blank page and just before she began to write, she read a quote that was on the pencil.

We know what we are, but know not what we may be.
-William Shakespeare