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Custosae de Lux Lucis

Chapter One

8:37 A.M.

Dursley Residence

Number 4 Privet Drive

Surrey, England

July 18, 1995

Four weeks I've been here…four weeks…and still no letters, no messages, nothing. Dammit! I deserve some knowledge of what's going on in the wizarding world, especially with Riddle's return to power and the Ministry not accepting that he's back! Wait…when did I start calling him Riddle? Never mind…why am I at Privet damn Drive with no information?

Harry James Potter was going crazy, pacing the floor of the tiny basement this summer. Apparently, Vernon and Petunia Dursley had deemed him unworthy of keeping Dudley's second bedroom, not that it surprised him. What did surprise him was the fact that they were apparently taking in a foster kid from a home in St. Ottery Catchpole this summer. Why? Harry hadn't the faintest clue. What he did know was that Petunia and Vernon seemed perfectly nice when not geared toward Harry or out of the house. It was extremely surprising and suspicious.

For the past four weeks, Harry had been going crazy with grief and anxiety. Cedric Diggory, a seventeen year old boy and a good friend of Harry's, had died right in front of his eyes with no consideration from Voldemort. Cedric was only viewed as a nuisance. The pain of this realization, that this monster was once again in power, was horrible for Harry.

He'd tried to get a message to Flourish & Blotts, but Dumbledore was keeping Hedwig up at the castle because he told Harry she was too recognizable for the Death Eaters. He couldn't get any letters from anyone! No Ron, no Hermione, no Remus, no Neville, no Luna, no Ginny, Fred, George, Molly, Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Dean, Seamus, Percy, Professor McGonagall, Tonks…

"BOY! Get up here this minute and make breakfast! We're picking up the girl and her friend from London today!" Vernon shouted down the dank stairs of the dark basement.

Harry groaned to himself, shutting his old school textbook. He'd been reviewing all his old textbooks for the past month, studying up and training. He'd even started doing the spells wandlessly, surprised at how easily the magic came to his fingertips after some simple meditating and much worked-on Occlumency. He took it as a good sign that he had not yet had a vision from Voldemort as a library book had warned him he might have.

Harry marched up the stairs emotionlessly and made breakfast. Eventually, he noticed that the Dursleys had begun eating and he retreated back downstairs. He returned to reading his third year charms book.

About five hours later, Harry heard the garage door opening again and heard the purr of Vernon's engine.

"What I wouldn't give to say: Lumos Maxima!" Harry growled in his mind. Instead, Harry searched for his work light and turned that on. Rolling his eyes and sighing at the fact that he would have to glamour all his textbooks and homework so the new girl wouldn't see about his magic, Harry once more pushed all his things into one corner, hanging a string between the two walls and draping a long white sheet across it for privacy between what would be two rooms.

"BOY! Get up here right now and take care of the girl," Vernon shouted from upstairs.

"Wonder if you'll ever learn her name, Dursley," Harry muttered darkly and ascended the stairs, throwing the door open as his hand touched the blackened doorknob. He rolled his eyes and merely adjusted his t-shirt as he walked toward his uncle.

Harry had imagined this new roommate of his to be just another Muggle girl. However, her naivety and innocence would soon be shattered at the hands of the Dursleys. She would have no idea of the neglect and abuse she would endure at the hands of the Dursleys.

"BOY! Hurry and get up here now!" Vernon shouted once more.

"I'm right here, Dursley," he said angrily and went outside to help the newcomer get her bags out of the car.

However, it was quickly deemed unnecessary as the girl came through the doorway.

Harry was stunned.

The girl was dressed in old, hip-hugger, light blue Old Navy jeans with holes and a ratty, light blue lace camisole with a slightly dirty, unbuttoned, wrinkled white blouse with the sleeves rolled up several times all the way to her elbows. Her shoes were battered black Converse and she wore a beat-up navy and white hoodie. A black backpack was slung over her shoulder and she held what looked to be a classic, Wuthering Heights, under her arm. On her one wrist were two bangles and on her other was a charm bracelet and a group of what appeared to be Muggle friendship bracelets. She wore a ring on her left pointer finger and a necklace around her neck and gold hoop earrings.

But what surprised Harry most of all was how beautiful she was, despite her old and dirty clothing. She had curly red-brown hair, brilliant blue eyes, a small amount of freckles scattered across her cheeks, pink lips, and a blazing look in her eyes and aura surrounding the girl that automatically made everyone intimidated…everyone except for Harry, of course. However, that sparkle was extremely intriguing…her eyes looked like sapphires. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the cold and her gentle curls were pulled back into a half ponytail with a gold clip and flipped through, creating a sort of crown effect. The tendrils were wind-blown from the unnaturally cold and windy June weather.

All in all, she was the most natural beauty Harry had ever seen in his life, both magical and Muggle.

However, Harry was not fooled by the red handprint on her left cheek and immediately knew her abuse had already begun. But the girl did not seem affected in the least. It was almost as if she was disappointed, but had half-expected this. Perhaps her last family had been abusive to her as well. Who knew what her family history was.

She only had her backpack and a small messenger bag draped over her shoulder. She didn't seem excited or scared at all. The look in her eyes was one that James easily recognized…it was one of grief and depression. The same emotion James had been experiencing for the past four months because of Cedric and the return of Moldywart.

Harry picked up the coats the Dursleys had dropped on the floor, only to see that the girl had also leaned down to help him. As if she had done with a hundred times before, with practice and speed, she picked the things up off the floor and easily hung them up, closing the doors to the white closet behind her.

That was when Harry took a second look at her. She seemed familiar almost…those eyes…

Harry's eyes traveled down to the book she held underneath her arm and blinked once. Where Wuthering Heights had once been lay Blood Magic and Its Defenses Against the Dark Arts by Amanda Brown. His eyes traveled back up to the girls' and she seemed to smile sadly.

"Hello, Harry."

Hey, guys! I posted a poll on my profile page:

Who do you want Neville to be paired with?

Susan Bones

Daphne Greengrass

Adrianna Dumbledore

Astoria Greengrass

Luna Lovegood

However, I won't make a decision for several chapters more. If you want to know more about my version of the characters, read on before you vote.

Review, review, review please! It's always helpful for the aspiring writer...it's also my first fanfic so I'd appreciate any feeback.

Thanks.

Athena Ash