Harry Potter: The Missing Keys
Chapter 1 of the next story in my McIntyre Chronicles series, the start of second year for Jamie McIntyre Jr. and his friends, although things are off to a rather ominous start, despite it's peaceful setting, have fun and enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or its characters.
Chapter 1
Yawning and stretched as she stepped before the mirror, now twelve year old Amara Jackson smiled as she began brushing her hair. Tall for her age, Amara kept her black hair at shoulder length, still curly and in fact getting even curlier. Her black eyes danced with delight as the skinny brown skinned girl finished getting ready. She was all dressed and prepared for the day. It was still the summer holidays but it wouldn't be too much longer before she was heading back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for her second year. She wondered if it would be as dramatic and dangerous as her first.
'Well, here we go, gonna go and have breakfast and then, as arranged, we'll be going to Jeff's for the rest of the summer, his mom even has plans to take us to Diagon Alley after we get our letters.' She reflected.
Smoothing down her dark pink knee length smart dress she knelt down to pull up her snowy white socks which had slipped down slightly. Finally adding the simple black flats to complete her look she made her way downstairs to the kitchen. Her mother Caulette was there, smiling as she had already began her breakfast, looking like an older version of Amara, with her hair as a haze of ringlets, Caulette smiled as her daughter.
"Ah, Amara, good morning." She greeted.
Amara grinned. "Morning mom, dad, Rick."
Rick smiled widely to his sister, Rick was a young boy, not ready to start Hogwarts yet, with the same brown skin as the rest of the family, his hair was a different shade of black and was short and neat, skinny and energetic as ever as he greeted her.
The final member of the family, Amara and Rick's father Terrence, looked up from his copy of the Daily Prophet and smiled warmly at his daughter. Taking note of her smart outfit he nodded in approval. While there was no real problem with how the family dressed, Terrence felt it would be a fun way to rub it in the faces of the more snobbish Pure-Bloods if they dressed as smart as if not smarter than them. As Amara sat down to her own breakfast she took note of her father's copy of the Daily Prophet, noting the headline story which sent a chill down her spine.
SHOCK AZKABAN BREAK OUT, DARK WIZARD FOLLOWERS REUNITED
She could make out enough of it to recognize the name of one of the figures.
"Ezekiel?" She gasped.
All eyes from the family turned to her.
"Amara, are you alright?" Terrence asked worriedly.
"Ezekiel, the guy mentioned on the front page who broke his friend Angelo out of Azkaban." Amara explained. "That's the guy who attacked Carla, Jeff and I last year, trapped Jamie in the portrait."
Sensing her worries Caulette gently reassured her. "It'll be okay, dear. People are on the lookout for them both, they won't get you and your friends again."
Biting her lip, Amara nodded and relaxed and finally ate her breakfast. Everything was soon done and ready and she was prepared to head for the Floo to go to Jeff's home, her family seeing her off and wishing her well.
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Also readying herself for the day was another twelve year old girl looking forward to her second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Carla Altobello of the influential Pure-Blood Altobello family was also getting dressed. Namely a simple black skirt and white blouse with simple socks and flats. She was an opposite to her friend Amara, being short though cute, with long black hair, green eyes and was thin though lean. With a serene smile on her face, the Ravenclaw girl was ready for breakfast and then, like her Gryffindor friend Amara, she'd be going to see their mutual friend Jefferson Winder and to stay with him for the rest of summer.
'After all our crazy adventures last year, contrasted with such a peaceful summer so far, I hope things will be a lot calmer at Hogwarts this year...but what are the chances of that.' She thought with a laugh. 'Well, I better go and get breakfast with mom and Papà.'
She subconciously refered to her dad in Italian in her thoughts, a hint to her Italian heritage from him while she was half-British on her mother's side. Heading down to the kitchen she met up with her parents, first her mother, Barbara Altobello who Carla got most of her looks from, save her hair colour as her mother was blonde. Her father Santino 'Sonny' Altobello had the same black hair as her, but showed his Italian heritage with the rest of his appearance. They both smiled warmly at Carla and greeted her, a greeting she returned as she joined them at the breakfast table.
As they sat at the table, the family Head House Elf, Star, led the other two in serving up breakfast, bowing in response to the family's thanks, before popping away. As they at Carla bit her lip, noting something that was bothering her. Something that caught Barbara's eye.
"Are you okay dear, you look worried." She queriered.
Carla sighed but nodded. "Jeff invited us to his home, Amara and I are going to be there...but none of us have heard from Jamie since, since the end of the school year. After what he went through…"
"Ah...that's understandable, sweetheart." Sonny said softly. "Hopefully you'll see him in Diagon Alley. But think about it, after what he's been through. It might be hard for him to cope."
Carla nodded and then looked over at yesterday's edition of the Prophet, one which hadn't been thrown out yet. She shook her head at the headline.
HOGWARTS PROFESSOR ATTACKED IN PUBLIC! MINISTRY IN TURMOIL!
"I still can't believe someone would attack Professor Bennett." She remarked softly.
"True, it is crazy." Barbara said. "But she's alive and her would-be killer paid the ultimate price...but still it is perplexing, given who the woman was."
They all nodded quietly at that, before finishing their breakfast and making all preparations for Carla to travel by Floo to the Winder residence.
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Standing in the living room of his family home, Jefferson Winder, better known as Jeff to his friends, smiled as he waited. As he did so he looked down at his new wand. He had finally convinced his mother to let him give up on his inherited wand and get a new one of his own. It did mean they'd be paying a second visit to Diagon Alley when they got their second year lists, along with Amara and Carla who were due to arrive any time now. Examining his wand, Jeff recalled what Ollivander had said about it, Elm and Dragon Heart String, 11 inches, it was a fine wand and it felt just perfect in his hand. With his father, an American born ex-military Muggle who now worked as a chef in a restaurant. He was out working right now but his mother, Ellen, who was his magical parent, was with him as they waited to greet his friends. Sure enough, at that moment, the fireplace flared with green flames as the floo flamed to life and soon Amara emerged with a small smile.
"Hi Jeff." She greeted him cheerfully.
Jeff grinned and nodded. "Amara, glad you could make, ah, and here comes Carla."
Indeed as he said that, the Floor flared to life again and Carla emerged. They all exchanged greetings while Ellen used her wand to clean the soot off the girls much to their gratitude and after a few more happy exchanges they all went to settle in and discuss their upcoming Hogwarts year.
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.