(A/N: So I'm a poor college student who's obsessed with Harry Potter. However, I don't own it. JK Rowling does. Also I changed it so that Kayla only had one brother to simplify things for me and ya'll.)

Chapter 1: Crazy (Or Maybe Magical) Cat Lady

My 11th birthday started like pretty much every one of my birthdays before: Waking up at six, (like I have a choice, my birthday is always on a school day), my parents giving me some wildflowers (march birthday advantage ^^), and my brother making the same tired joke of saying "Happy BURP-day!" then belching in my face.

"Joey, you REALLY need to brush your teeth. Honestly, your breath smells like cow crap!" I exclaimed.

"Kayla, don't use that sort of language. Joey, be nice to your sister, it's her birthday." My mom said while fixing us some oatmeal.

Just then, someone knocked on our door. With a confused look on her face, my mom went to go answer. I thought it was weird, too. Who wants to be up this early, let alone visit someone? My answer came when my mom came back with this severe looking lady with glasses, her hair in a bun, and wearing this weird dress-looking thing. Joey was about to make a rude comment about it so I kicked him under the table.

"Hello, my name is Minerva McGonagall and I am the Deputy Headmistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I have come to present you with your acceptance letter and explain about the wizarding world of which you are a part. That is, if you as a witch, choose to come." Said the woman in a thick British accent as though she had said it thousands of times and it no longer interested her.

Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure my eyes were wide enough that my contacts were going to fall out. I accepted the letter and read:

Dear Ms. Weasley:

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment,

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress

UNIFORM

First year students will require:

Three sets of plain work robes (black)

One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following…

At this point, something clicked that I hadn't fully grasped in my early morning stupor. It said, "Dear Ms. WEASLEY..."

"Um…Professor McGonagall was it? I'm sorry, but I think you've gotten the wrong person. My last name is Smith. You must have me confused with someone else. "I said, wishing that the letter really WAS for me. I mean, it'd be super awesome to do magic. Wait, what am I thinking? Magic isn't real. I thought. I really should stop reading so late, it's made me delusional.

At that, the woman shot my mom such a piercing look that I was surprised holes didn't appear where the self-acclaimed witch stared. My mom did look quite uncomfortable, though.

"Mom?" I turned to her looking for an explanation to this craziness.

"Well….sweetie, I don't know about you being a witch but….11 years ago today…,"my mom started to explain, but she had to stop to take a deep breath to prevent tears, and that scared me. My mom almost never cries. "11 years ago today, I went outside to get the mail and I saw a bloody baby girl with most of the umbilical cord attached, you, on our porch. I loved you on sight; I always wanted a daughter and a sister for Joey. I discussed it with your dad when he got home from work, and we decided to give you our last name and raise you as our own. We were going to tell you when you turned 18 so that you could try and find your birth parents if you wanted. Oh, Kayla! Can you forgive us for not telling you? We just wanted you to have a normal, untroubled childhood. We love you!"

I was shaking from anger, sadness, and something else I couldn't identify. I was also trying to cry, scream, or punch something. I lost the fight with the tears and my contacts slipped out.

"Shit!" I muttered and ran to my room to grab my glasses.

"Language!" My "mom" exclaimed.

At this point I couldn't hold back my enraged and slightly hysterical laughter.

"Okay, so you LIE to me for my ENTIRE life; MY ENTIRE LIFE! And when I slip up and say a cuss word, that's bad? I can't believe you! I've loved you for my entire life, tried my hardest at school, not kicked Joey's butt for picking on me, done all my chores with almost no complaint and you return my love and devotion by lying to me, turning a blind eye to Joey's being a bully, and not even noticing that I have no friends because people think I'm a freak! You may have been,' trying to give me a nice childhood'…but, you know what? You've done a pretty horrible job of it." Every resentful thought was just pouring out of me at once, but at the end of my little rant the professor cleared her throat bringing our attention back to her.

"Miss Smith-Weasley, please calm down so that we may straighten out these matters and so that you can decide if you want to go to Hogwarts." McGonagall (?) said though not unkindly, but still businesslike.

I took several deep breaths and then nodded for her to continue, now avoiding the tortured gaze of my up-until-just-now mother. Professor McGonagall (I was pretty sure of her name now) now had a sad look on her face as she began.

"Your birth mother's name is Molly Weasley. When she was pregnant with you, she was also pregnant with your twin, Ronald. There had been a highly dangerous wizarding war going on at that time and when the due date for you and your brother was but a month away your mother was hit by a stray curse that sent you here. The force of the spell sent Molly into labor and a few hours later your twin also arrived in the world. Molly searched far and wide around England, but she had to look after her 6 other children and, not too much later, was pregnant with another daughter. She assumed that you were dead. We all did, but then your name appeared on the list of prospective students and we knew you were alive somewhere and we'd find you then. It was not our favorite option, but our only one. I don't believe she told your siblings, because she didn't want to hurt them if they never found you. The letters automatically address the envelopes and here I am."

If I was shocked at the bombshell my mom laid on me, it was nothing to how I felt now. There is no way that this is possible was all I could think. Finally, after a few minutes of deep breathing I managed to ask, "How…what….where's the proof that this isn't some elaborate and sick joke designed by Joey?"

McGonagall gave me an appraising look and then transformed into a striped cat. That's right, a CAT. Joey jumped but then sneered, "She really is a crazy cat lady!"

McGonagall turned back into her normal form glaring at the idio-Joey. "You ARE a witch Miss Smith-Weasley, and it is time for you to make a choice. Will you come?"

(A/N: Mwahahaha! Cliffy because I'm feeling a little evil)