Charlotte smiled, remembering her nickname given to her by Fred and George. 'Charlie', she thought. She liked it. Even though Fred and George already had a brother with the name Charlie, she knew that they would never get confused. 'Hopefully' she thought with a grin. Charlotte looked down to see her suitcases that were filled with her belongings appear in the corner of the room. Only three suitcases and one trunk, she mused. She didn't own a lot of anything, but she was quite content with what she did have. 'I bet the trunk is full of books, poor house elves." she thought to herself.

"Thank you!" she said aloud, hoping at least one of the helpful house elves would hear her.

Charlotte walked over to a suitcase and took out her pajamas and toiletries. 'Perfectly packed' she duly noted. She would have to write the house elves a thank you note for being so courteous. Charlotte took her pajamas and toiletries and headed to the bathroom. A few minutes later, she came back out. Charlotte looked up at the clock on the wall to find it well past one in the morning. She walked back over to her suitcase, hoping the house elves might have packed a few special photographs of her parents and brother. She smiled when she found them, and set the picture frames on the nightstand by the bed.

"Goodnight mum, dad. Goodnight Riley…I miss you all…" Charlotte said, her voice wavering.

Charlotte climbed into the bed and pulled the covers up over her. As she lay in bed, she let the darkness come over her and lull her into a peaceful slumber. Random images swirled through her head, and a song floating smoothly in her mind.

Charlotte was sitting in Advanced Potions, working on her Felix Felicis. It was a lovely gold color, the potion jumping out of her cauldron like gold fish, never spilling a drop though. She was getting ready to pour the Felix into a tiny bottle to turn in for a grade when the Headmaster came into the classroom, quickly walking over to Professor Snape. He seemed rather concerned and urgent. They spoke in low whispers; Charlotte could not hear a word they were saying. Professor Snape looked squarely at Charlotte as the Headmaster came over to her desk. She finished corking the vial and labeling it when she saw that the Headmaster had stopped at her table.

"Miss Stratford, if you would come with me please." Dumbledore whispered.

Charlotte nodded and cleaned up her table, setting her vial on Professor Snape's desk. He looked at her with an expression she couldn't quite figure out. She followed the Headmaster up to his office, neither of them speaking. When they entered his office, she saw Professor McGonagall sitting in a chair by his desk, a worried expression on her face. Dumbledore gestured for Charlotte to sit down in a chair as he sat behind his desk. When she sat, he began to speak.

"Miss Stratford, the reason I have asked you to my office is to give you some bad news. Voldemort and a few of his Death Eaters have laid an attack on the village where you parents and brother live. I'm afraid they didn't survive. The scene is quite gruesome. If you wish not to go to identify their bodies, we can send someone else. I'm sorry to be the one who has to tell you this, Miss Stratford." He spoke softly.

Charlotte sat there in a stupor. 'Surely he must be mistaken…' she thought to herself. She couldn't form any coherent thoughts. Her parents and her brother…all gone. She started shaking with anger and grief and ran out of the Headmaster's office. Charlotte didn't know where she was running, but she had to get away from everyone. She didn't see one person in the shadows who was watching her; Professor Snape. Finally, she was out of the castle, heading towards the Forbidden Forest. She stopped at the edge and fell to her knees...

Charlotte bolted upright as the sound of pecking on her window startled her from her dream.

"Bloody nightmare." Charlotte muttered.

She pulled the covers back and got out of bed and walked to the window to sell a beautiful black owl pecking at her window. She opened the window and the owl stuck its leg out. Charlotte took the letter from the owl's leg and the owl flew back off. She closed the window and went to a nearby desk to sit down and read the letter. She broke the wax seal on the parchment, opened it up, and began reading.

Dear Miss Stratford,

I hope that you have had a restful night, as today will be full of adventure. At your earliest convenience, please join me in my office for some breakfast and a lovely conversation. Please remember to shrink your suitcases and trunk, as we'll be moving. The password is banana pop.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Charlotte laughed after reading the letter. The headmaster had a way with writing letters that made her want to laugh. She placed the letter in her trunk and grabbed a change of clothes, her toiletries, and her robes and headed to the bathroom. After she had showered and dressed, she walked out of the bathroom and put her robes on. She grabbed her wand from the nightstand and placed her pictures and clothes into her suitcases. Charlotte smiled as she remembered the charm to shrink her suitcases and trunk to fit snugly in her pocket.

Charlotte walked the hallways until she found the Headmasters office, speaking the password that was mentioned in the letter. "Banana pop." She spoke to the gargoyle, and it immediately jumped aside to let Charlotte on the stairway to the headmasters office. She knocked three times in succession, the door opening, revealing a serene looking Albus Dumbledore behind the desk. A wide assortment of breakfast food was available on a table to the right of Dumbledore's desk.

"Come my dear and eat! We'll have plenty of time left for talking once we've both got good full stomachs. Dig in!" Dumbledore said jovially.

"Good morning, headmaster." Charlotte said as she sat down at the table, filling her plate with delicious food.

After they had eaten their fill, they both returned to Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore held her gaze for a few seconds before speaking.

"Today, Miss Stratford, you will be moving into the headquarters. The house is actually owned by Sirius Black, and he has sportingly agreed to let us use it. The house itself is big enough to house quite a few people, so don't worry about crowding anyone out. You, along with Sirius, Harry, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys will be living there. Order members will be in and out at all times during the day and night. You will meet them as they come in. Once we get you settled in there, we will call a meeting and discuss what you can do to help us bring down Voldemort."

"That sounds fantastic, headmaster." Charlotte replied, smiling at the thought of seeing a few of her friends again. Over the past couple of years, she had lost contact with them, and she had sorely missed them.

"I trust you recall the address that I had you read last night?" Dumbledore asked,

"Of course I do, headmaster." Charlotte replied, still smiling.

"Fantastic! I've already owled the Order and they're expecting us, so we'll apparate there poste-haste!" Dumbledore exclaimed. "Let me owl Minerva and then we'll head out to the Forbidden Forest."

Charlotte nodded and watched as the headmaster walked back to his desk to write a quick note to Professor McGonagall. He tied the note to Fawkes, his phoenix, and off Fawkes flew to deliver the note. Charlotte decided to take her robes off, thinking that it was unseasonably warm to be wearing heavy robes. She quickly shrunk them and put them in her pocket and smiled.

"Ready, Miss Stratford?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes, headmaster. And please, call me Charlie, or Charlotte. Whichever you like." Charlotte replied.

"Of course, my dear. Let us be off, please follow me." Dumbledore said with a smile.

Dumbledore lead Charlotte down to the Forbidden Forest, past Hagrid's hut and past a few trees before stopping. He turned to Charlotte and offered his arm.

"I am aware that you passed your Apparating license with flying colors, but if you grab my arm, I'll apparate us both to save time." Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling in the sunlight. Charlotte smiled and replied with "Okay" and grabbed ahold of his arm. With a familiar jerk behind her navel, they were off.