—CHAPTER ONE—

The Longest August the 31st

'Orthosi, you can't just go around telling lies and handing out threats like candy.'

'I know,' Orthosi growled back at her older brother. 'However, I wouldn't trust anyone handing out free candy.'

Epidiorthosi sat straight backed, staring down her brother while the St. Mungo's staffroom lamp flickered dimly above them. The eleven-year-old girl's blue eyes were sharp as nails and her hair as black as ebony. Her fingers were digging into the wooden chair, scraping up wood as they climbed upward.

The room stank of cheap, bitter coffee, particularly near the stained counter where a self-grinding coffee brewer was bobbing up and down waiting for someone to fill it. In the centre of the room a comfortable, though slightly out of style, set of green sofas and chairs lounged.

Orthosi's brother, Leopardali, hadn't bestowed them with the luxury of softer seats, and instead had pulled two wooden chairs into a dreary corner. Maybe the third-year thought the hard seats were more dramatic.

Her brother groaned. 'Mum and dad are still working. I'm supposed to be taking care of you. How can I do that if you're threatening visitors and causing scenes in the halls?'

'He deserved it,' Orthosi argued. Her eyes strayed towards the door where through a window she could see a child outside quietly sobbing into the arms of his mother. So sensitive, Orthosi remarked inside. 'And, it wasn't really a "scene" till the boy started weeping.'

'It certainly roused the visitors in the hallway alright,' Leo said, peering through the window himself. The buzzing of overlayed conversations echoed outside. 'I wouldn't be surprised if mum is on her way already.'

Orthosi shrugged. 'Oh, let her come. We'll both be speeding away from home on the Hogwarts Express soon enough. Being ordered to leave myself out on cake after dinner isn't worth my dignity.'

'Don't you think that's a bit of a stretch?'

'Leo, you're in Gryffindor. Aren't you supposed to be all about bravery and vengeance?'

'Bravery, yes. Vengeance…unfortunately, yes as well, but that isn't a good thing, and—and we're getting off track! Listen, whether he hurt your dignity or not, you need to apologise.'

'Apologise?' Orthosi sniffed in disgust. 'For what? You know, I didn't actually do anything except retaliate against cruel remarks.'

'Exactly. You retaliated. You threatened him and lied. Again, for the third time this month.' Leo said the last word with a sigh.

'Well, would you rather have me really cast an Unforgivable on him?' Orthosi stood up, her hand spread out in a gesture of 'isn't the answer obvious?'

'I'm just trying to help you. If you apologise now, then no one else must get angry. I mean, having another talk with mum and dad wouldn't exactly be a great way to end your last day before Hogwarts, would it? Orthosi, please sit down.'

Orthosi did, sighing. 'No, I suppose it really wouldn't be. But I'm not going to let people push me around! He said I shouldn't have a wand if I was below the age of eight and that he didn't think annoying runts were allowed to work as healers!'

Leo sighed. 'I agree that someone should have told the kid off. But you've got to maintain some sense of self-control.

Orthosi simply glowered at the floor.

'Please, if not for yourself, then for me, apologise and don't cause any more trouble…' Leo looked at her pleadingly. 'Remember, mum promised she'd buy a new set of quills, the automatic calligraphy ones, if I was able to keep you behaved.'

'Oh, please, she'll get you those anyway. She gives you and Vasilias anything you want…' It had always been that way. Orthosi's older brothers would ask for some fancy something they'd been hoping for and their mother would buy it before school. All Orthosi had wanted was a pair of silk gloves, but so far there hadn't been a sign of anything while yesterday a box had appeared briefly in her mother's office that looked suspiciously like a box containing a brand-new quill.

'And I'm sure she'll give you what you want too,' Leo reassured. 'Plus, Vasilias hasn't gotten any gifts from mum other than for Christmas and his birthday since he graduated.'

Orthosi nodded. 'I guess if it is really that important to you, I'll apologise.'

'Great! Let's clean, then get out of here before mum interrupts.' Leo smiled at her, lifting his chair and carrying it over to the table. Orthosi stood up and carried hers over too. The two siblings had just hoisted their belongings and started towards the door when it opened.

Five figures stepped in. One was short, dressed in blue robes, with a soft face that held a firm expression: her father. He was standing beside a woman who was still comforting a crying boy. Then there was a young man with black hair like her father's who was dressed in robes of yellow accented with black rimming.

Finally, there was the woman at the very front of the mass crowding the doorway. Her robes were flowing with a flame gradient, reflecting the jewellery that glowed with a radiant warmth. Brown hair cascaded down her back and curled around her narrow face. Her mouth line twisted in a frown, and her blue eyes cut through Orthosi and Leo like daggers, making the white wand she held at an angle seem ten times more dangerous.

'Orthosi,' her mother demanded in a very refined, controlled voice. 'I would like you to tell this boy you are sorry.'

'I was just about to,' Orthosi said, stepping forward and looking her mother in the eyes the best she could, being less than five feet tall.

'Right,' her mother responded in a voice that clearly said she didn't believe a word of it.

'I am sorry…' Orthosi looked at the boy before she continued. He was only a year older than her, with a smirk sneaking its way onto his mouth.

'Well?' he prompted impatiently.

Orthosi glared, throwing the apology to the wind. 'I am dreadfully sorry that you were born daft enough to believe me! How could I know a forbidden curse when I haven't even gone to my first-year at Hogwarts yet?'

The boy began to fake cry.

Leo looked at his sister with an expression of hopeless pity.

'Epidiorthosi!' Her mother yelled. 'Go,' she said softly to the woman and the boy who was pretending to cry again. 'My daughter has clearly not learned anything from the past few weeks' worth of punishments.'

Her mother turned to leave after the consulting mother, grabbing Orthosi's father on the way out, most definitely headed for a discussion of discipline. The young man in the yellow and black robes leaned against the wall.

'Why…' Leo moaned, his face in his palms. 'I tried to tell you.'

'That boy was clearly not upset at all,' Orthosi ranted. 'He was practically laughing when I was about to apologise.'

'Yep. He was pretty much a jerk,' said the young man. 'I figured I'd come home from work early so I could see you two off.'

'Thanks,' Leo mumbled.

Orthosi sighed, gazing at the shadow of her mother beyond the panelled staff room door. She wasn't getting those gloves. At least she still had her allowance.

'If it were up to me, Ore, I would let you off,' Orthosi's eldest brother said, pushing off from the wall.

'You would let half the wizards in Azkaban off,' Leo pointed out, sitting down in one of the green chairs.

'Well, some of the charges are certainly not worth draining all the happiness out of someone,' Vasilias argued, crossing his arms.

Orthosi turned towards her brothers. 'Still wearing your house colours, Vasilias?'

'Of course,' her eldest brother responded with a grin. 'Now, quick. If you two take hold of my hands we can all Apparate back to the house before mum storms in here like someone tripped the anti-burglar enchantment.'

Orthosi and Leo both sprinted to link hands with Vasilias.

Waterfalls spilled over glistening stones into a basin. Above the basin was a platform that spanned through the entirety of a room approximately the size of a mansion. In the centre of that platform was a round table made of ancient-looking stone. And at that table sat four figures. The eldest of them was fifteen, the youngest eleven.

The youngest of the group was busy twiddling with a wand of dark, curved wood. He had auburn hair that showed red only in bright sunlight, but in the shadows masqueraded as a dark brown. He looked at the other figures. 'Weel, at least I get ta go wi' ye this time," David said.

'That's true,' said the eldest. Murie had shoulder-length blond hair and emerald eyes exactly like her youngest brother's. She didn't have an accent like her brothers, though. That was until she got mad. This year would be her fourth at Hogwarts. 'At least this time we've got David.'

'Doesn't make it any better,' an older boy, Cormag, said. 'We've got ta go all the th' way ta London, then come straight back when we could've jus' walked.'

The people at the table nodded in agreement.

David gazed down at his wand. Every year his siblings and one of his cousins snuck away to their secret hideout and held one last meeting before they left for Hogwarts. This was his first time at the meeting. Nice t'finally get some attention, he thought.

Really, he didn't understand why this meeting was so sombre. On weekends they could occasionally visit; their house was only a mile away from the castle. But his siblings swore it was never the same as the carefree Julys filled with catching magical creatures, learning how to mend broken bones with the touch of the wand, and the full, laughing dinner table.

'Whit aboot Grant?' a twelve-year-old freckled girl, his cousin, asked at the end of the table.

Murie sighed in annoyance. 'Iseabail, we've been over this. There is no way we can take Grant to Hogwarts. And, it would be stupid to try.'

'But last time Grant got his foot stuck in eh fence! An' ma mum an' dad an' yers all had ta cast eh dozen spells t'get him out! Come on, Murie!'

'Regardless of the fact that Grant would be in more danger at Hogwarts, Grant is a highland cow, and so is not included on the Hogwarts pet list,' Murie said, a look of pure irritation flickering in her eyes. 'Anyway, as we have all packed and are ready to head off to the train tomorrow, we should proceed with the bestowing of the artefacts.'

Murie stood up and strode over the sparkling platform onto a small path fenced ornately on either side. Cormag followed her first, David behind him, and Iseabail last. David dropped his wand on the floor; his hands were slippery with sweat at the thought of receiving an artefact. He picked it back up and shoved it in his pocket. I hope I get a good one.

'David!' Iseabail had stopped beside him. 'Whit da ye think aboot Grant? Ye have known him since ye were eh baby. Surely ye understand.'

David shifted uncomfortably. Iseabail looked at him expectantly, as if he would burst into tears over their pet. Last year was her first at Hogwarts, David thought. Th' experience with Grant an' th' fence must have convinced her subconsciously 'at when she wasn't home, bad things would happen t' him.

David coughed. 'I'm jus' worried he'd get lost at Hogwarts. The castle probably isn't th' best place for Grant ta graze at.' At Iseabail's disappointed expression, he added hurriedly, "Come on. Artefacts ur waiting.'

David and Iseabail caught up to Murie and Cormag. The path ended at a large golden door, on which emblems of dragons spewing fire glowed. Murie looked back at the expectantly watching eyes, then pushed the doors open, revealing a small room.

Even if the room was small, it was packed full. Numerous exotic items and confusing knickknacks were shoved wherever they fit. In one of the few vacant spots were four mismatching chairs surrounding a cardboard box set upon a coffee table with broken legs.

Murie took her spot on the tallest seat. 'I have selected sixteen artefacts from the pile me and mum sorted.' She gestured to the chairs. 'Take a seat and we'll begin.'

The other three took their spots.

'David, being a first year, will pick his artefact first,' Murie explained as she opened the box. 'Then me, because I put all this together. Then Iseabail, then Cormag. Now, David, choose your artefact. And remember, as we learned last year, looks can be deceiving.'

Poor Cormag, David thought as he began to look through the box's contents. Getting eh pair of great-grandpa's old socks. What had looked like shimmering, enchanted cloth had turned out to just be eccentric wizard socks.

For more than a hundred years, David's family had been storing items and passing them down from generation to generation. By this time, no one even knew what was what or what the items inside even were. Four years ago, Murie had claimed one of the items for her own and later started the ritual of choosing one new item to take to Hogwarts each year.

The contents of the box were tough to describe. They were so exotic and wonderful it took David a long time to narrow down which artefact he wanted. Finally, there were four he was considering.

One looked like a golden watch with an eagle engraved on top. When he flipped it open it showed a picture of space, moving slowly as if viewed through the eyes of a meteor. The second option was a pure white gem that glowed; the only problem was that it was flawed with an air bubble in the middle. The third was a small statue of a man holding an axe.

But the one David decided on was a pair of dirty, old gloves. They were absolutely covered in dirt, and the colours had almost all washed away. Looks can be deceiving, David thought as he lifted the pair triumphantly from the box.

Murie nodded. Iseabail stared at David with a look of uncertainty on her face. Cormag didn't seem to care and kept his arms crossed.

Ten minutes later, Murie had chosen a vintage pair of Quidditch goggles, Iseabail the flawed gem, and Cormag was inspecting pieces of a shattered wand.

David looked down at his watch. It showed a house with a sun setting in the background. 'We should head back ta th' house. Mum has probably got dinner ready.'

'Aye,' Murie said, looking at the ceiling as if she could see the sun setting.

The group stood up and walked back into the room with the roaring waterfalls. They crossed the platform to another path. At the end was a massive golden door containing a cut out of a normal sized door.

David led the way through the smaller door where he was met by two fabric flaps. He shoved them open and stepped outside of the hideout onto green grass. Behind him, the other three emerged from what appeared to be a small, dirty tent.

'Dinner is ready!' he could hear his mother yelling.

The group of kids rushed inside the house for one final family dinner before the train tomorrow.

Maria couldn't stop tears from rolling down her face or stop tremors from running through her spine. She couldn't stop her mind from weaving all the dangers, all the possible, horrid endings that could meet her at Hogwarts.

'Please don't send me!' she begged, huddled in a magenta chair positioned in the corner of a completely dark room decorated with mismatched grey-greens and similar dark magentas. A chandelier hung above it all and could have cast a warm light over the dreary surroundings, but it wasn't lit.

'Maria, you'll be fine,' her mother reassured once again from where she sat on a sofa next to Maria's father. 'Everything is in place and ready for your arrival.'

'But what if it's not enough? What if I'm found out?' Maria sobbed.

'As long as you take the potion every fortnight, you can't be found out,' her father said. 'You remember all the ingredients, right?'

Maria nodded. 'Yes…'

'See? Nothing to worry about then if you've memorised what I've told you.'

'But what if some are locked up?'

'They shouldn't be.'

'What if they are? How will I be able to make the potion then?'

'Send a message to us,' Maria's mother said. 'We can inform the headmaster about the ingredients if it's necessary.'

Maria nodded, still trembling. 'I suppose that's alright. Of course, I'll never have gone so long without drinking blood. Are you sure that I can manage it?'

'Blood will be left by the edge of the Forbidden Forest every Saturday,' her father said. 'True, having a meal everyday may be preferable, but Maria, this is for all of us. You may be the first Vampire who has ever been invited to Hogwarts.'

'But I don't want to go,' Maria said softly.

'You can't let fear hold you back,' her father said. 'We decided months ago this would be best. You're going to be the first Vampire Witch in recorded history.'

'I know. It's a lot of pressure,' Maria whispered.

'Aren't you excited, though?' her mother asked kindly. 'You'll get to be with other people your age. It's been so long since you've had friends like that, Maria. And you'll get to use the wand Uncle Payn made for you.'

'Yes,' Maria forced out. 'That will be nice. I'm still scared, though.'

Her mother sighed and looked to Maria's father for help. He shrugged and stood up. 'Maria, you should be heading to bed. The train leaves early tomorrow and you're not accustomed to being out in the daytime.'

Maria uncurled herself and left the chair. She slowly made her way over to the stairs and stopped at the bottom, wanting to delay the time before she fell asleep. Because, when she woke up, she would leave for the Hogwarts Express.

'Good night, Maria,' her mother said, walking over to her. She hugged her daughter tightly. 'Love you.' She gave Maria a kiss on the cheek.

'You too,' Maria said, on the verge of tears again. She clung tightly to her mother, fearing the embrace would end as quickly as the train would arrive.

'You've got to go up to bed now, dear,' her mother said. 'Have a good sleep. We'll wake you early in the morning.'

'Okay,' Maria said, releasing her hug. She turned and climbed the steps, each footfall pounding like the chime of a clock.