AN: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed and favoured the story so far! I'm really glad that people are enjoying it!

This is the longest chapter so far, so apologies for that, but hopefully it's a good read all the same! :)

Life in the Burrow took some getting used to.

It was not so much the magic, though that was fascinating everywhere Violet found it. She kept being caught off guard, from the mirror that told her off for not brushing her hair to the broom that swept around the house attacking people who dropped crumbs. She enjoyed listening to the weird and wonderful music on the old radio, from the Weird Sisters to Canta, Ginny's favourite singe and when the gnomes in the garden got into silent little melees over crumbs they'd found.

She loved it that Ginny's wake up call wasn't an alarm clock but a bearded little quidditch player in robes who put his hands to his mouth to whistle whenever he felt they'd slept in enough and then waved his arms furiously when they ignored him.

No, what took the most getting used to when living with the Weasleys was that everyone was, well, nice.

Mrs. Weasley fussed over her and Harry constantly, piling their plates with food at every mealtime and mending their threadbare clothes each evening. Mr. Weasley was a tall man with fading red hair, but he was kind and enjoyed conversations with her and Harry about random parts of muggle life. Percy, the eldest son still at home, was strict and serious but no one seemed to pay much attention to his orders. When Fred and George weren't in their room blowing things up, they were teasing everyone in the house and generally making sure life didn't get too quiet. Ron was Harry's best friend and Violet found he could be funny and sulky in equal measure.

As had become the routine, Violet and Ginny were the first down to the kitchen one Saturday a week after they had arrived at the Burrow. Mr Weasley looked up from his Daily Prophet and gave them a smile in greeting. She still found it weird, to have someone smile rather than glower at her.

"Good morning, you two," He said brightly as he took a sip of tea and the two girls took their usual seats, "I see you have post."

Ginny stopped yawning and sat up at once.
"We do?" She asked in a voice of barely contained excitement.

Mrs. Weasley strode proudly over from the sink handed an envelope of thick parchment to her daughter. The Burrow's address was written on the front in green ink.

"And here's yours dear," Mrs Weasley handed an identical one to Violet.

Violet held it in her hands. It couldn't be real. Not after so much waiting and hoping. Maybe it was meant for someone else. The address was as clear as day.

Violet Potter

Ginevra Weasley's Room

The Burrow

Ottery Saint-Catchpole

She turned it over. There was the seal just like on Harry's letter a year ago. A lion, a snake, an eagle, and a badger surrounding the large letter 'H'.

Ginny had already torn her envelope open and was reading in barely contained delight.

"Well, go on," She gave Violet a nudge, "It won't read itself!"

Violet knew how worried she sounded, "But what if it's a rejection letter?"

Ginny laughed, "They don't send rejection letters to people! Go on, open it! Do you want me to do it for you?"

"No," Violet gently peeled off the wax seal without breaking it and opened up the thick parchment letter within.

Dear Miss Potter,

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

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress

Ginny was grinning at her.

"We're going to Hogwarts!" She leapt up from the table and took Violet by the hand. The two of them danced around the kitchen while Mr Weasley chuckled brightly, and Mrs Weasley stood proudly with arms folded.

Violet couldn't believe it; she was going to Hogwarts! It felt like an awful weight had been lifted from her shoulders. No Stonewall High! No ragged third-hand uniform! No going home to the Dursleys every night for the rest of her life.

Harry and Ron came down the stairs, messy haired and baggy eyed. Ginny went rigid as if she had been shocked and knocked her toast to the floor. She ducked out of sight with her face bright pink.

Harry didn't seem to notice. He was looking at Violet and the letter in her hand.

"Vi?" He asked, a smile breaking across his face.

Violet was lost for words, holding the letter as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

"I'm going to Hogwarts," she whispered.

"Yes!" Harry jumped up and hugged his sister, "I knew you would! You'll get to meet Hagrid again and see the Great Hall and nearly-Headless Nick and quidditch! Vi, you'll get to fly and play quidditch!"

She giggled as her happiness bubbled over. It felt like she was floating.

"You must have gotten your letter as well, Ginny?" he asked as Ginny emerged from under the table. She promptly put her elbow to the butter dish to knock that over as well.

It was an eventful breakfast, a letter arrived from another of Harry's friends via the Weasley's ancient owl, Errol. Errol took two attempts to enter the house, as the first had ended when he chose the wrong window to try and fly through. The price of the books they would need was discussed Violet shared a look with Harry at Mrs Weasley's worried claim that 'they would manage'. She had not seen the gold stored deep underground, left to them by their parents, but she knew it was a fortune. She knew as well without even asking that Harry would give the Weasleys half of everything in it without a second thought.

After everyone had eaten, the boys went to play quidditch in a paddock nearby while Ginny and Violet went down to the river. They found a bank thick with grass and the smell of tulips and spent the afternoon throwing stones into the gently meandering river.

"What house do you think you'll be?" Ginny asked as she skipped a stone expertly across the water, "I hope I'm in Gryffindor. All my family have been."

"So have mine," Violet was lying with her hands threaded into her red hair, watching the clouds pass peacefully overhead, "I think. I know my mum and dad definitely were."

"Is it true the gamekeeper kicked down your door last year to give Harry his letter?"

"Sort of," Violet smiled even now at the memory, "My uncle had brought us out to a rock in the middle of the ocean to escape but Hagrid flew out. He told us everything. I had no idea all the weird stuff we could do was magic. He also told us about Voldem-"

Ginny flinched.

"Sorry. Hagrid told me people don't like hearing the name, but I'm not used to it yet. Well, he told us about our parents and…you-know-who and what happened."

"And what did happen?" Ginny frowned.

"He didn't know the full story," Violet sighed, "I wasn't even a year old yet. I don't remember anything."

"But Harry got a scar, and you didn't?"

Violet shrugged, "He didn't get as far as cursing me, I think. I mean, I assume he was going to afterwards but…" she trailed away. It was not a very pleasant conversation.

Ginny hurriedly changed the subject, "What are you most looking forward to?"

"I don't know," Violet admitted, "I think I'm looking forward to seeing all of it."

"Same! I really want to explore the grounds, see if I can find any secrets. Fred and George found loads in their first year and they never stop boasting about it," She gave a wistful sigh, "It's going to be amazing. I've gone to Diagon Alley so many times to get the boy's things and now it's my turn at last!"

"I've only been to Diagon Alley once," Violet said, eyes closed. It was pleasantly warm with only a gentle breeze rustling in the trees high above them, "but it was to get Harry's things. I really wanted a wand, but Hagrid said I was too young."

"That'll be fun," Ginny said but she pulled a face, "Not that mine will be new."

"Oh, doesn't everyone get a new wand from Ollivanders?"

"No one else did. Bill got my Great-Uncle Fagius' old wand, Charlie got my Great-Great-Aunt Tilly's, Percy got Bill's, Fred and George got theirs second hand and then Ron got Charlie's. We never get anything new really."

"Oh," Violet looked down at her shoes. They were in a better state than Harry's had ever been, but the logo was long faded, and the soles worn smooth, "I've never gotten anything new either."

"From your aunt and uncle?"

"Yeah. I suppose we weren't worth the money."

Ginny shook her head violently, "That's not true."

Violet couldn't think of anything to say so instead turned her attention to the lapping water of the river.

"I do want to meet Peeves though," said Ginny.

"Peeves?" Violet thought of the letters Harry had sent from Hogwarts, she basically knew them by heart, "The poltergeist?"

"Yeah," Ginny sat back again, "I want to see what he's like."

"Harry always said he was a nightmare."

"Yeah, but Fred and George think he's funny. I just want to see it for myself. Then again their opinion on what's funny probably isn't too normal, which is great because-"

"Careful, little sister," Came a voice from behind, making them jump.

"Yeah, you'll make us blush," Fred and George sat down next to Ginny.

"What are you two doing here?" her eyes had narrowed in suspicion.

"Oh, charming." Fred pretended to sound hurt, "What a way to greet your favourite brothers."

"Mum's made you lunch," George tossed over two bundles of wrapped brown paper. Inside were corned beef and pickled onion sandwiches.

"Shouldn't you two be playing quidditch?"

"We gave up pretty quickly," George had pulled out his own sandwich and sat next to Ginny.

"Harry was flying circles around us," Fred dropped beside Violet, "He might possibly have had an edge on that Nimbus of his."

"Could have been worse," said George, "You could have been flying Ron's Shooting Star. I think I could throw it faster."

"Shut up," said Ron sulkily. He and Harry had wandered over and settled down on the riverbank. Ginny choked on her sandwich.

"Don't worry Ronny-kins," George grinned, "It's not always the broom, it's the person flying it."

"What if it's both, George?"

"You know, I never thought of that, Fred."

"I said shut up," Ron scowled as he took a seat next to George and Harry sat alongside him, "Did everyone get corned beef?"

"Eat it up Ron," George waved his sandwich in front of him, "It'll put hair on your chest."

Ron said nothing but just glowered at his brother.

"Is your mum still annoyed about the flying car?" Violet asked.

"Annoyed? She's absolutely furious," Fred chuckled, "but Dad knows the drill. He'll keep his head down for a few weeks and then when mum's forgotten about it, he'll sneak back into the shed. It's not the first time. Do you remember the toaster?"

"Ah yes," George sniggered, "I thought it was a good idea. Except when it nearly burnt the house down."

"So long as he doesn't enchant the radio to dance or the chicken coop to clean itself out, he should get away with it." Fred settled back.

Harry had been quiet as he ate his sandwich. Violet knew that look, his 'blank stare' Uncle Vernon had always called it. It meant he was thinking hard about something.

It wasn't until that evening that she got the chance to ask him what. Dinner was just finished, the Weasleys had moved into the lounge, but Harry and Violet had stayed behind to help wash up. It wasn't very difficult compared to Privet Drive as the dishes washed themselves. All they needed to do was keep them crashing into each other as they tried to get into the sink, but it was a chance for them to speak privately.

"What's on your mind?"

"Dobby," Harry answered as he poked the casserole dish apart from a cup.

"I thought Fred and George said It was a joke? To stop you going back to Hogwarts?"

"I know but something's not right about it. He seemed," he shook his head, trying to find the right words, "set on stopping me. He was scared, Vi. You could tell he wasn't supposed to be there."

Violet bit her lip, "Are you going to tell Mr or Mrs Weasley?"

"I have nothing to tell them. Besides, I'm not missing out on Hogwarts, no way! You'll see why when you get there Vi, it's the most amazing place! You'll never want to go home!"

She looked up at him. The hurt was clear in her voice, "You didn't want to come back?"

He suddenly looked uncomfortable, "You were the only reason I wanted to. You'll understand when you're there, Vi. It's like nowhere else on earth. It's…"

"Magic?" She smiled and Harry laughed.

The following Wednesday, the Weasleys and Potters had gathered in the kitchen. Breakfast had been simple sausage butties though Mrs Weasley had insisted Violet and Harry have twice as many as everyone else. Violet wasn't sure she was fully awake yet because she could not possibly have heard Mrs Weasley properly.

"We're travelling by fire?" she repeated the words, just to be sure.

"Yes dear," Mrs Weasley seemed suddenly worried, "Floo Powder is quick but, goodness me, if you've never used it before."

"They'll be fine, mum. Here, watch me." Fred stepped forward confidently and took a pinch of green powder from the pot his mother was holding. He threw it into the fire and at once the sedate flames rose up as tall as a person, green and fierce.

Fred stepped into the hearth. Violet watched with open mouth as he confidently shouted "Diagon Alley!" and disappeared in a flash.

"You must speak clearly," Mrs Weasley said as George repeated the same ritual as Fred, "And mind you get out at the right grate."

"The right what?" Harry asked. He looked and sounded as nervous as Violet felt.

"There are a lot of fires to choose from but as long as you've spoken clearly-"

"They'll be fine Molly," Mr Weasley now had a pinch of powder as well, "Don't fuss."

"But, Arthur, what if they get lost?"

"We'll be ahead for them to follow, don't worry."

"Well, alright then. Violet, dear, why don't you go after Arthur? Be sure to say clearly where you're going."

"Keep your elbows tucked in," Ron offered helpfully.

"And keep your eyes shut, the soot-"

"And don't fidget, or else you might fall out of the wrong fireplace."

"But don't panic and get out too early. Wait until you can see Arthur, Fred and George."

Violet felt a little light-headed as she was offered the flowerpot. She hesitantly reached in and took a pinch of the powder. It felt slightly warm and like very fine sand. She took a breath and threw the powder into the fire. It rose up in large and vicious looking green flames as before.

Violet stood rooted to the spot, watching them.

"Something the matter, dear?" Mrs Weasley asked kindly.

How was Violet supposed to answer that? 'Don't touch the fire' was up there with 'Don't step in front of cars' and 'Don't stick your head in a lion's mouth' as one of the first things muggle children learned. It was a very hard lesson to forget.

"If you want, Harry can go first?" She offered.

"No," Violet took a deep breath. It had worked for the others so there was no reason it shouldn't work for her, right?

She stepped into the fire.

The flames felt like a warm blanket rather than unbearably hot. It was a surreal experience. Trying to keep her arms pressed against her sides as tightly as she could, she shouted the words; "Diagon Alley" in a rather high-pitched voice.

And then she was gone.

It felt like she was plummeting down a particularly narrow pipe, spinning furiously and out of control. Shapes whizzed by her on all sides, impossible to make out. Ash stung at her eyes and throat and her elbows kept striking what felt like a brick wall.

There! She thought she saw a flash of what might have been red hair. She tried to stop herself spinning.

Violet fell out of the fireplace with a heavy, graceless thump.

She lay there for what felt like a long time, hoping her stomach would stop trying to escape out of her mouth and her head would stop spinning. Her elbows and knees were stinging.

There was no sign of the Weasleys.

Violet got unsteadily to her feet.

She was in a pub, that much she could tell but which pub she didn't know. It was even gloomier than the Leaky Cauldron with darkened alcoves and a cloud of smoke hovering just above the grey chandeliers. The room was deadly silent as Violet looked around, backing up to the now empty fireplace. She could see figures moving in the shadows.

"Who're you?" demanded the glaring barman. He was old and stooped with grey whiskers and a missing eye.

"Um," Violet could feel her heart beating very quickly and her mouth was bone dry, "Violet…Violet Potter."

"Potter?" The barman raised a bushy eyebrow. There was muttering from the alcoves. The atmosphere had gotten very cold, as different from the Leaky Cauldron as could be.

"That name's not welcome here," the barman barked, "Clear off!"

Violet ran for the door. She threw it open as quickly as she could.

And hit a blond girl on the other side.

Her hand was outstretched where she had been going for the door. Violet hit her so hard that both were knocked to the dirty cobbles.

"Atia!" An equally blonde woman picked up the girl by her shoulders and looked down at Violet. She would have been a pretty woman had her nose not been raised as if she had just smelt something particularly revolting, "Watch where you're going, you little brat."

"Sorry," Violet wilted a little in the face of her anger. The girl looked a lot like her mother, same long and straight hair, same pretty face and same sneering, haughty expression. The woman looked away with a sniff of disgust, "Um, do you know where I-"

The woman cut across her question, "I am not interested, now get out of my sight. Come along Atia, we'll wait for your father and Draco in here."

She turned her back on Violet, steered the girl into the pub and slammed the door in her face.

Violet stood rooted to the spot. There was nothing about the street she recognised. It was a lot less colourful than she remembered Diagon Alley to be. The people seemed a lot less cheery too, keeping their heads down and muttering as they passed her. Some were shooting her very dark and ugly looks.

"Violet!"

She spun at the familiar voice and her heart leapt in relief. A massive, hairy man in a shaggy coat was approaching and pushing people out of the way like grass stalks. Walking alongside him she saw-

"Harry! Hagrid!" She said in relief, craning her neck to look up at him, "Thank god you're here-"

Hagrid took her by the shoulder and pulled her along, lifting her off her feet in the process.

"I can' believe the two of ye," he said in a stern voice, "Lily and James' children, in Knockturn Alley! A dodgier place you couldn' have found."

"We hardly did it on purpose," Violet protested as Hagrid brushed soot off Harry's back and knocked him forward about three feet, "We got lost!"

"Where did you end up?" Harry asked. She had only just noticed he was holding his glasses up to his face as the frame had broken.

"I don't know, a pub?" She said.

Hagrid tutted loudly and went to wipe the soot from her shoulders, though she was quick enough to duck away from his huge hand, "You didn' end up in the Black Penny?" he shook his head, "Nasty place, that pub. Not very friendly folk."

"You don't say," Violet thought of the sneering blond woman and her equally sneering daughter, "What about you?"

"A shop," Harry said as he too ducked from Hagrid's attention, "It was full of dark objects."

Again Hagrid gave a deep sigh of disapproval.

"Why were you in Knockturn Alley?" Harry asked suddenly.

"Buying flesh-eating slug repellent," He said dismissively as he steered the two Potters down the street, "They're ruining the school cabbages."

They turned a corner and Violet saw the great white glimmer of Gringott's bank. The shops here were much brighter and the people cheerier. They were back in Diagon Alley.

"Harry! Violet! Thank goodness!"

Mrs Weasley was rushing over with Ginny trailing behind her. She looked pale and worried, "You found them Hagrid! Where were they?"

"Knockturn Alley, Molly," Hagrid said gruffly.

"Brilliant!" said a pair of voices from behind. It was Fred and George with Ron and a strained looking Mr Weasley, "We've never been allowed."

"I should ruddy well hope not," Hagrid scowled even as Mrs Weasley wrung his hand furiously and Mr Weasley fixed Harry's glasses with one wave of his wand, "Now, I'll leave ye two here, if I can trust you that is."

Violet turned at the entrance to see Hagrid in the distance, parting the crowd with ease. Inside Gringotts, they found a girl about Harry's age with frizzy hair and rather large front teeth.

"Hi, Hermione," Harry gasped as she gave him a tight hug.

"Thank goodness you're alright, I've been worried all summer," Hermione said as she hugged Ron, "I was wondering why you weren't answering my letters. I even tried sending them via the muggle post."

Behind her were two people who could only be her parents. Mr Weasley was delighted by them ("But you're muggles! Do you have any of those 'five pound coats'?") but Mrs Weasley hurriedly shooed him away so they could each get to their vaults. Violet had made this trip last year and it was no more pleasant this time around, the little Gringott's carts twisted and spun alarmingly on their rails. It felt like spinning in the chimney again.

They went to the Weasley's vault first, which was horribly bare. Violet bit her lip as Mrs Weasley searched in the corners for every coin she could find. She only felt worse when they reached the Potter vault, overflowing with gold and silver.

Once they were back in daylight, Mrs Weasley gave a sigh.

"Right, we'll split up. Ginny, Violet, we'll go get your school things. Arthur-"

"I must bring the Grangers to the Leaky Cauldron," he said eagerly, "We have so much to talk about!"

"Alright then. Ron, Harry, Hermione, I can trust you to buy your own supplies?"

"Yes, mum," Ron answered sulkily.

"And you two!" Mrs Weasley had spun around just as the twins had tried to slip away with their friend, Lee Jordan, "Not one foot on Knockturn Alley, do you hear me!"

Violet could feel the weight of the coins in her pocket and the urge to splash out was strong. The Dursleys' had given her pocket money but never much. More than Harry but not enough to buy anything she liked. Now as she walked past the different shops with their colourful products and bright signs, the urge was strong.

Mrs Weasley brought Violet and Ginny to the apothecary to buy their potions ingredients and cauldrons. Violet was able to buy a shiny new cauldron while Ginny's was dented and rusted around the edges.

In the stationary shop they bought parchment and quills and Violet treated herself to a quill that wrote in pink ink and tasted like bubble gum if the end was chewed. She was fitted with new robes at Madame Malkin's Robes for all Occasions and Ginny was taken to a rail of tatty second-hand robes. Violet bit her lip as a crestfallen Ginny tried them on, each set as misshapen and shabby as the last.

"We'll get your wands next," Mrs Weasley smiled at Violet as she checked her list, "Have you been to Ollivander's dear?"

"Yes, Mrs Weasley," she said, thinking of her visit the previous year. It had been Harry who had been getting his wand then, with Hagrid. She had not liked the long and searching look from Mr Ollivander on seeing her. A full year and she still remembered those grey unblinking eyes.

The shop was much the same as it had been on her last visit. Boxes were stacked up against the walls up to the ceiling and so much of the floor was covered that there was only a small square in which to stand. Mr Ollivander was standing behind his box-covered desk and looked up as Mrs Weasley pushed open the door with a chime.

"Well, well," He said in his low voice with widened eyes, "Welcome back, Miss Potter."

"Hi," Violet said shyly. He was giving her the same searching look as her last visit. She looked hurriedly down at the dusty floor.

"I have been waiting for you to return," Ollivander disappeared into the back of his shop. She could hear him moving boxes around, "I was so very tempted to give this to you last year, but these things must wait until the proper moment."

He returned with a box held in his lined hands. He placed it on the counter and began to pace around her. Violet stood rooted to the spot, not daring to turn around.

"Aren't you going to measure me?" There was no sign of the tape trying to get the distance between her nostrils like with Harry.

"Perhaps," he seemed to be speaking more to himself, "It's rare but, yes, it might just work."

He walked back over to the counter and picked up the box. He pulled off the lid and offered it to her.

"Ten and three-quarter inches, willow, unicorn hair. Very swishy," he whispered, "Take it."

With a deep breath, Violet reached in and closed her fingers around the wand. At once she felt a warmth pass up her arm as if she had dipped it in a hot pool. She gave it a wave and a string of golden thread poured from the tip and floated in midair.

"Excellent, oh, excellent!" Mr Ollivander clapped his hands together delightedly, "I had thought, well, I had hoped…"

He trailed off, lost in his thoughts before turning to Mrs Weasley. His calm demeanour turned sharp, "Mrs Weasley. The usual, will it be?"

"Yes, Mr Ollivander," Mrs Weasley answered sheepishly.

He sighed and shook his head, "I have told you each and every year, Mrs Weasley, the wand chooses the witch or wizard. Taking a second-hand wand will be adequate but it is not what I would recommend."

Violet took one look at Ginny's unhappy expression and made her mind up. She cleared her throat, and everyone turned to her. Being the centre of attention had her stomach churning uncomfortably and she wasn't sure what she was going to say. What if they laughed at her?

No, she was going to go through with it.

"Um, Mrs Weasley," she pressed on, "Could I…buy Ginny a wand please?"

Ginny's eyes widened in surprise. Mrs Weasley looked horrified, "Certainly not, dear! It's awfully expensive, I couldn't let you do that."

"I know," Violet said hurriedly, "But Ginny's been so nice to me, and it was her birthday recently. I'd like to buy her one as a present, please?"

"Can she, mum?" Ginny squeezed Mrs Weasley's hand, "Please?"

"Well," Mrs Weasley hesitated and looked at Mr Ollivander who merely nodded his head, "Very well, go on then."

Ginny jumped forward eagerly, and Mr Ollivander began to measure her up for her wand. After a few boxes, he found one for her: fourteen inches, yew, and a dragon heartstring core.

"Arthur and I will give you some gold towards Ginny's wand, dear," Mrs Weasley sighed as Mr Ollivander packaged up both boxes, "It's not fair that you're paying for two wands."

"One wand, Mrs Weasley," Ollivander said in his soft voice, "Your daughter's wand is new, but Miss Potter's is not and it's fee was paid a long time ago."

"What do you mean?" Mrs Weasley furrowed her brow.

He passed her the box, "I have held this wand in my care for a great many years. Who left it with me, I do not know. They simply left it outside my shop one autumn morning with the gold. I remember every wand I have ever sold, and I recognised this one right away. I knew who had owned it before and I had long wondered if it would fit you as well as it did her."

"Who?" Violet pressed, feeling a chill in her skin and a rapid thumping in her heart. It felt like she already knew the answer.

"I knew her then as Miss Evans," Ollivander sighed sadly, "And she was such a gifted witch, your mother."

Violet was very quiet as the three made their way to Flourish and Blotts.

She kept a tight hold of her wand, running it through her fingers again and again. This wand had been her mother's. The words ran through her mind over and over like they weren't really registering. Her mum had held it, used it, put it into her pocket, maybe tucked it behind her ear.

She knew so little about her parents. Until Harry had come home in the summer with a book full of photos, she hadn't even known what they looked like. She looked a lot like her mum as it turned out, same red hair, same shaped face, same green eyes. She squeezed the handle and pretended she could feel the warmth of her mum's hand through it.

Flourish and Blott's was very, very busy. A queue of witches was snaking down the street and muttering people were fighting to get in and out past them. Everyone else was already inside the shop, near the front of the queue.

"What's going on?" Mrs Weasley asked her husband when they had joined them. Before he could answer though, Fred had nodded to a sign with a roll of his eyes.

"Gilderoy Lockhart will be here today to sign copies of his new autobiography, Magical Me."

"Goodness me," Mrs Weasley flushed pink and began fixing her hair.

"It's so exciting!" Hermione said eagerly, "I mean he wrote pretty much the entire book list!"

Inside was packed and the air was filled with excited chatter as witches and wizards, though mostly witches, pushed towards the back of the store. As they flowed with the crowd, Violet saw a good-looking man with perfect blonde hair and charming smile sitting at a desk and signing books with an elaborate peacock quill. To either side of him were large posters of his own beaming face with 'GILDEROY LOCKHART' written across the top in looping golden letters. A man was dancing around him with a camera that was emitting puffs of coloured smoke with every flash.

"Get out of the way," he snapped, "This is for the Daily Prophet."

"Who cares?" Ron snapped and rubbed his foot where the man had stood on it.

Lockhart looked up. He ran his brilliantly blue eyes over the group, past Ron and fixed on Harry. He jumped at once to his feet.

"It can't be!" He cried, "Harry Potter!"

Before they knew it, Harry had been pushed to the front by the excitedly whispering crowd. All while his name ran through the store like wildfire. Violet wanted to grab him by the sleeve and pull him back, but she was crowded out before she had a chance. Everyone was rudely pushing and prodding as they tried to get as close to the desk as possible. A squat, grey witch elbowed Violet in the nose rather painfully without so much as acknowledging her. Violet rubbed her nose and peeked through the crowd to where Harry was pinned to Lockhart's side and being photographed endlessly by the Daily Prophet man. The entire shop was filled with the smell of rotten eggs.

"When Harry Potter," Lockhart announced loudly, putting special emphasis on 'Potter', "Came in today to buy, Magical Me, which shall be provided free of charge with signed copies of my full works," the audience clapped enthusiastically, "That he would soon be seeing much more of the real magical me," He grinned to show off his flawless teeth, "Yes, I am delighted to announce that from this September I shall be taking up the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

He let go of Harry to drink in the applause and cheers. Her brother took advantage of it to sneak away and back to the group who had been pushed to one side out of the way.

"That was mental," said Ron shaking his head.

"You should see the colour of your face," said Fred, sniggering.

Harry gave him a dirty look and dumped the massive pile of books into Ginny's cauldron, "Here," he said without looking, "You can have these. I'll buy my own."

"Does that happen a lot?" Violet asked in disbelief.

"All the time," he muttered with a shake of his head, "Are you hurt?"

She had still been rubbing her nose and abruptly stopped, "It's fine."

"Let me see."

"I said it's fine," but she dropped her hand to let him look.

"Bet you loved that, Potter," Came a drawling voice from behind them.

Everyone turned to see a small boy with a pale, pointed face, slicked back blonde hair and a wide sneer leaning against the stairs.

"Shove off, Malfoy," said Ron angrily.

"Famous Harry Potter," Malfoy sneered, "Can't even walk into a bookstore without making the front page."

"Leave him alone!" Ginny, of all people, spoke up and glared at Malfoy with intense dislike, "He didn't want any of that!"

Malfoy laughed coldly, "Look Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend! And who are you? Don't tell me; red hair and decrepit possessions, you must be yet another Weasley. Are you the last one or is there another quidditch team's worth waiting to lower the tone of the place further?"

Ginny flushed pink around her ears. Malfoy's effortless cruelty reminded her very strongly of Dudley and Violet felt the anger bubble up in her stomach.

"Do you enjoy bullying girls?" She asked sharply, then caught herself in surprise. Where had that come from?

"And who are you?" His eyes widened in recognition, "So you're the other Potter? How does it feel to be related to a superstar then? Bet you just love basking in the fame given you're such a nobody."

Violet's cheeks reddened. Those cold eyes and the superior sneer reminded her now not of Dudley but of Uncle Vernon. She felt her confidence shrivel to a husk.

Fred and George pushed in front of her with threatening expressions.

Before they could go any further, Mr Weasley appeared as did Malfoy's father who was no less malevolent than his son. He booked up one of Ginny's books, glanced over at the Grangers and sneered.

"And I thought your family could sink no lower."

Before she knew it, Mr Weasley had launched himself at Mr Malfoy and the store was in chaos. Books rained down on top of them, people were pushing to get out of the way and the twins were shouting encouragement to their dad. It took Hagrid wading in like a massive boxing referee to pull them apart.

Mr Malfoy sneered as he threw Ginny's book back in her cauldron, "Here girl. If it's the best your father can give you."

Then he was gone.

"You shouldn' have reacted to him, Arthur," said Hagrid, "Rotten to the core, the whole family. No Malfoy's worth listening te."

It was a very subdued group who headed back to the Leaky Cauldron. Mrs Weasley was furious and embarrassed in equal measure, the Grangers were shaken and no one else dared to break the silence. Overall, Violet thought as they bid goodbye to the Grangers, it hadn't been her most fun trip to Diagon Alley.

It wasn't until that evening that she got some time alone with Harry. Ginny was busy in her room and Ron was arguing with Percy in the kitchen. Even as they roared at one another, it still felt different to how Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had shouted at Harry and her.

She sat cross-legged on Ron's Chudley Cannon's bed beside her bother. He was holding her wand as if it were a glass antique, as if he was afraid any sudden movement would shatter it.

"This was mum's?" He said her with a pained expression. She recognised it, because it was exactly how she felt.

She nodded.

"And Ollivander had no idea who left it with him?"

She shook her head.

Harry was silent for a long time. The only noise was Ron and Percy's muffled shouting.

"I saw her," he said quietly without looking at her, "I saw her last year."

Violet felt her stomach flip as she studied her brother's face for some sign of a joke. His sombre look told her otherwise.

"How?" She asked with a dry mouth, excitement rising up within her.

Harry explained the mirror of Erised and what Dumbledore had told him, and she felt her excitement vanish in a puff of smoke. For the first time in her life, Violet felt a raw envy towards her brother so strong it ached. A thousand questions ran through her mind, and she longed to ask them all.

"What was she like?" She whispered.

"She didn't speak," Harry's voice was pained, "But she seemed nice. I thought of you, first time I saw her. I'm sorry, Vi."

Violet didn't answer. It felt like a long time before Harry shuffled across the bed and hugged her. She hugged back, holding him as tightly as she could. They stayed like that until a red-eared and ranting Ron appeared. Violet left them to it and went to bed, but it was a very long time before she finally fell asleep.