Hi! This is a story idea that I have been toying with for very a long time. It took a while for inspiration to hit me. But I'm very excited to be finally working on this story. In this chapter, we meet our protagonist Lola, and get a glimpse into what her daily life is like. There is no magic involved yet, but Lola will look back at these times as some of the best in her life. Next chapter, things get very strange as a woman we all know visits the Allen house…

Disclaimer: Of course, I don't own anything apart from my own original characters.

Bored.

Not just your run-of-the-mill boredom, either; Lola was experiencing the kind of soul-crushing ennui that could only come from staring at the same barnyard for sixteen years and counting. She slouched by the window, watching her brother Lance shepherd sheep around as if it were the world's most riveting activity. Somewhere in the back of her mind, a little spark of excitement flickered at the thought of tomorrow's yogurt—yes, yogurt—possibly set aside in her honour for her birthday. At this rate, yogurt was as good as it was going to get.

Earphones in place, she grabbed her beat-up copy of *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows*—nothing cured boredom like magical peril. As Avril Lavigne's "Keep Holding On" wailed in her ears, Lola trudged down the stairs and outside to her favoruite place on Earth: the stables.

"Hey, Princess," she greeted their elegant Selle Français mare, who responded with a refined whinny that practically screamed, "You again?" Lola tossed her a bit of grass hay, and Princess sniffed it with what Lola swore was a sigh. "We're both stuck here, huh?" she murmured to the horse, who merely blinked. But Lola decided to interpret that blink as, Yes, but at least you can read.

With a tug, she led Princess outside, where the morning sun just barely managed to throw some lackluster rays over the horizon. Her copper hair caught the light, and she liked to think she looked mysterious and windswept—though in reality, she probably just looked like a bored teenager with a horse.

She whispered to the trees, "What's the plan for today?" Princess gave her an obligatory nudge, probably hoping for something vaguely interesting. They ambled down their usual path, past the river and an assortment of inconveniently placed rocks. The whole setting had an almost otherworldly vibe, if you ignored the fact that Lola knew every single blade of grass.

"Good girl!" she cheered as Princess leaped over a rock, her moves resembling… well, a very careful, slightly lazy hop. But Lola imagined the scene looked majestic, like something straight out of a slow-motion horse movie. She settled herself in a hammock near the river, plucked out her iPod, and dove into her Harry Potter book, letting the drama and darkness of Snape's secrets wash over her.

By the time she reached the epilogue, it was midday, and Princess was already tired of grazing. Reluctantly, Lola tore herself from the wizarding world and checked her phone—two missed calls from Lance and a message from her mom: Your breakfast is getting cold, honey.

"Oh, perfect," she muttered, scrambling to gather her stuff. Breakfast at home meant yet another mushroom and cheese omelet with a side of baked beans. Exciting? No. Comforting? Definitely.

When Lola finished her uneventful breakfast and returned to her room, she started tidying up. A few hours later, her phone buzzed in her pocket.

"mornin, babe x," a message from Ellie, her best friend, appeared. "what r u up 2 today?"

Lola sighed and texted back, "At home, not much happening. Wanna come over?"

Ellie's response was swift, "Can't, babe, soz :( Gotta look after lil bro. See u tomorrow at school tho? we could flunk last period & go 2 the movies with jake..."

Lola sighed again, typing "Sure" with less enthusiasm. Jake, Ellie's latest rebellion project, had the unfortunate honor of being the one person her parents despised. Lola wasn't sure if it was his tattoo, his motorcycle, or just his general Jake-ness that set them off, but they made her tag along with Ellie as the designated chaperone, whether she wanted to or not. She wasn't sure what was worse—chaperoning Ellie and Jake so they wouldn't get caught to her parents, or the thought of another birthday that would likely involve more yogurt and stale balloons from last year's drawer stash.

Lola tossed her phone aside in frustration and lay face down on her bed, seething with disappointment. Her 17th birthday was just a day away, a milestone she hoped would be special, yet it seemed destined to be like any other ordinary day, or perhaps even worse.

Thoughts of Harry and his 17th birthday celebration consumed her. Despite being an orphan confined to the realm of fiction, Lola couldn't help but envy the attention and warmth that the Boy Who Lived received on that significant day. She daydreamed, perhaps for the billionth time, about what it would be like to live in the magical world of Harry Potter. She didn't just wonder; she wished for it.

Slowly, Lola drifted into a peaceful nap, her daydreams whisking her away to the adventures of a witch at Hogwarts.

When she awoke, her mother's concerned face loomed over her.

"Sweetheart," she spoke gently, "Are you feeling alright?"

Lola groaned as she turned on her side to avoid rays of sunlight creeping in through the blinds. Blinking, she met her mother's bright blue eyes. "Yeah. Just tired…" she replied sleepily.

Her mother looked even more concerned. "You've been sleeping for almost a day, honey. Are you sure you feel okay? I can call Dr. Riby if you don't feel well."

Lola's eyelids fluttered open. She looked at her mother as if she had seen her properly for the first time in years.

"Mum…" Lola said slowly. "Dr. Riby passed away two years ago, remember?"

Evelyn Allen laughed nervously, confusion in her eyes. "Don't be ridiculous, honey. He came to check on Leona a few weeks ago when she swallowed her blue toy, remember?"

Lola certainly remembered... Only problem being that it had happened more than 6 years ago!

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave a review about what you thought; good and bad, both welcome! See you next chapter. X