Harry Potter 1. The Beginning

~Chapter 1~

"I can't believe you got kicked out of America's School of Magic! And right before your last year!" My mother moaned while fixing us both a cup of tea.

I sighed. "How many times do I have to say I'm sorry?"

She smiled slightly, pouring the scorching hot water into the cups. "If you keep saying you're sorry until your children have children. I'll might consider forgiving you" She winked at me. I laughed and took a bite of my mom's famous pound cake. She only made it on special occasions. This time . . . my going away party.

My whole family- by whole family I mean my mom's family- came to our small little ranch farmhouse in Virginia to say goodbye. They wanted one more good look at me before I went all the way to London, England to study magic at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

My mom, who was a witch like me, sent an owl to the headmaster Albus Dumbledore after she found out I got expelled from my old school. She asked- I call it begging- if he would allow me to study there for my last year. We got an owl back a few days later. I read it myself. Dumbledore said that Hogwarts would be more than happy to have me as a student.

But it also said that I would have to come to his office as soon as I got to the school so that I could be sorted into one of the four houses-Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin-.

All of my bags were packed and waiting in the front hallway. I was supposed to leave very soon. Five minutes to be exact. I saw my mom give the clock an annoyed look.

"Your brother needs to learn how to read a clock" she muttered. "He is always late and you both need to get going!"

I lifted my cup, trying to hide the smirk on my face. "Seth will be here soon"

Just as I spoke there was a loud _pop! _as my older brother Seth Apparated into the room. He grinned but his smile fell a little when he saw our mother glaring at him.

He raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You were supposed to be home fifteen minutes ago!" she growled. "You need to take your sister Tessa to-" She glanced at Dumbledore's letter. "- Diagon Alley"

She handed me a long piece of parchment. "These are all the things you'll need Tessa. Just books, parchment, new robes, potion ingredients, things like that. It's a good thing you already have a broomstick and a wand"

Seth chuckled behind me. "Come on Mom. We need to get going"

Mom's cold gray eyes gave him a silencing look. She turned back to me and smiled. "Now Tessa, I want you to have fun but not too much fun and make plenty of friends. And I want you to write-"

"Every week so you know how I'm doing" I finished for her, smiling. "I know Mum"

She smiled. "I'm going to worry about you Tessa. I love you so much. Stay safe at Hogwarts alright?"

"Of course"

I kissed her on the cheek and followed Seth into the living room. The fire was already going with Seth standing next to it with my trunk in his hand.

"Ready?" he smiled at me.

I smiled back. That was the only thing I could do when I was around my brother. He had a special aura about him, it was like magic. It's not because Seth was a wizard. He has a happy personality that rubs off on you.

H reached into a small gray pot and took out a pinch of glittering powder and threw it into the fire. The flames rose higher and turned bright emerald green. Seth tugged my trunk and himself into the fire.

He winked at me and shouted in a loud, clear voice. "Diagon Alley!"

The flames surrounded his body, engulfing him and he disappeared. I grabbed my own pinch of powder and threw it in. I stepped into the fireplace. I waved to my mom who looked like she was about to burst out crying.

Like Seth, I shouted in a loud, clear voice. "Diagon Alley!"

I felt my body spinning, surrounded by green flames. I jumped out of the right fireplace but I tripped over my own feet. I would have landed on my face if Seth hadn't grabbed my elbow. I looked up ready to thank him but the person I was staring at wasn't my brother.s


	2. Leaky Cauldron & Madam Milkin's

~Chapter 2~

The boy was tall and gangly and looked like he was around my age, sixteen or seventeen. He had messy dark hair that was a little too long and pale skin. His eyes were dark, brown or blue. I couldn't tell.

He smirked at me. "Hi, is this your first time at the Leaky Cauldron?"

I nodded.

"Maybe I could show you-"the guy started to say when I heard Seth's voice yelling my name.

"Tessa!" he had spotted me and the boy standing rather close to my side. Seth's bright blue eyes became hard like sapphires and they narrowed into tight slits. He moved his way through the tables toward us.

I widened my green eyes and whispered to the boy. "If you value your life I suggest that you start running"

Instead of doing as I told him the boy chuckled and said. "Why?"

"Because that guy coming towards us is my older brother Seth and he looks like he is going to kill you for talking to me" I whispered.

The boy chuckled again.

"Sirius!"

I looked over my shoulder and saw a tall, handsome boy coming towards us. He had untidy black hair and round glasses. Behind those glasses he had stunning brown eyes. The boy named Sirius grinned widely. He waved at me before hurrying away.

I saw Sirius give the other boy a hug and than they left.

"Tessa, who was that?" Seth growled in my ear. He was glaring at the door that Sirius had walked through.

I shrugged. "I don't know"

Seth looked at me for a moment and than pulled me towards the back door.

"I don't know why Mom made me come with you. You're sixteen" He muttered.

I rolled my eyes. "You would have come anyway because you're god damn protective. But I don't mind."

He grinned down at me, wrapping one of his arms around my shoulders. "Love you Tessy"

"Love you too Sethy" I laughed. We walked into the backyard of the Leaky Cauldron where there was a brick wall. Seth had been to Diagon Alley before so he took his wand and showed me.

_Tap the third brick from the left above the trashcan._

The brick wriggled and a small hole appeared in the middle and grew wider until a huge archway appeared. There was a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight. I widened my eyes and followed Seth through the archway. I turned around just in time to see the archway shrink back into a solid wall.

"Tessa, com on" Seth called from further down the path. I glanced at the wall again before hurrying after him.

I looked around in amazement, there were so many stores. Their windows filled with candy, expensive quills, potion ingredients, new models of racing brooms. Anything you could imagine.

Seth and I walked by a dark ship with a sign that said, Eeylops Owl Emporium-Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown and Snowy. I walked closer to get a better look. I saw a few dark shadows with what looked like their wings tucked up over their heads. Next door was a huge crowd of teenage boys, noses pressed up against the glass, staring at broomsticks. I stood up on my tip toes trying to get a better look.

It was too bad I already had a broom.

"Tess, why don't you go get your things" Seth told me. He was looking at the broomstick in the window too. Unlike me he had a clear view since he was so damn tall. He handed me a large black velvet bag that jiggled when it moved.

"This is all of your money. A few Galleons, Sickles and Knuts; Seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon and twenty-nine Knuts to a Sickle" Seth said before pushing his way to the front of the broomstick window. I sighed and walked toward a store called Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. My list of things said that I needed three black robes and a black winter cloak with silver fastenings.

I walked into the store and saw a plump, smiling witch who was dressed all in mauve. She smiled wider when she saw me.

"Hello dear. How may I help you?" she asked.

"I'm here to get some black robes and a black winter cloak with silver fastenings" I read it from the Hogwarts list and smiled nervously.

"Are you from Hogwarts dear?" she asked.

I nodded. "I'm transferring there from my old Wizarding school in America"

"That's wonderful!" Madam Malkin grinned. "Hogwarts is a wonderful school. What year will you be in?"

"My seventh year"

"Wonderful" She smiled. The witch waved her wand and a black robe with a pin cushion right behind it came flying towards us. The robe fell over my shoulders. I felt the fabric tightening in pieces until it fit absolutely right. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My black hair shone in the light and my emerald green eyes sparkled. I looked a lot like my father. Or so I have been told.

My parents met when they were very young.

My dad fell for my mom right away. She had shiny red-brown hair and stunning gray eyes. She had a wonderful personality and she loved to do crazy, goofy things. They were best friends. But there was one set-back. My dad was non-magic. A Muggle.

He didn't know my mother was a witch until after Seth and I were born. We were both showing signs of having the same magical abilities as our mother. Our father noticed and she was forced to tell him the truth. The whole truth.

After that, everything fell apart.


	3. Gem

I walked out of Madam Milkin's store, my robes tucked securely under my arm. Diagon Alley was even more crowded than it was when Seth and I first arrived. I saw more children about my age and younger, carrying large cauldrons and sacks of books. I groaned when I realized how much more I needed to buy for Hogwarts.

"Tessa!" I looked up and saw Seth pushing through the crowd towards me. I saw him carrying a woolen basket in his one hand and a sack on books tucked under his arm.

"What's this?" I asked when he reached me.

Seth smirked. "You were taking forever with your robes I decided to buy your books and a small birthday present"

He opened the basket and pulled out a small black kitten with emerald green eyes.

"Oh my- Thank you Seth!" I kissed my brother on the cheek and took the kitten from him. "Does she have a name?"

Seth shook his head. "The owner said he never got the chance to name her so it's up to you"

I stared into the cat's deep green eyes that looked so much like my own, like a pair of emeralds. The cat yawned, revealing sharp white teeth and a pink tongue. I laughed and scratched behind its ear. "How about I name you Gem?"

The cat stared at me and purred.

"It seems to like that name" Seth chuckled. "Come on, we have to finish shopping before it gets too dark and than head back to the Leaky Cauldron where we'll be spending the night"

I nodded, holding Gem against my chest. Her purring deepened.

"And than we have to go to the King Cross Station and go to Platform Nine and Three Quarters."

I stood in front of Platforms Nine and Ten; my cart was packed with my trunk and my woolen basket carrying Gem. I glanced at Seth and whispered. "How do we get to Platform Nine and Three Quarters?"

He smirked at me and gestured towards a group of teenagers who looked like they were my age, all pushing carts, all with large trunks and cages carrying owls.

"Watch them"

I saw a very small boy with white blond hair glance nervously around him. Another boy who was much taller smiled and said something to the smaller boy before running towards the brick wall between Platforms Nine and Ten. I gasped, thinking that he was going to crash but the wall just swallowed him up and he disappeared. The smaller boy followed him a moment later. There were three more people in the group, two boys and a girl. I recognized the one boy with the long dark hair, I remembered his name was Sirius; he was the one that I met in the Leaky Cauldron.

He smiled at the other dark haired boy and the girl who had long red hair. Than Sirius ran towards the brick wall and it swallowed him, just like the others. The other boy and the girl followed right behind him.

"Now it's your turn" Seth said.

I widened my eyes and Seth laughed at me.

"You'll be fine Tessa. Just start running and I'll be right behind you"

I nodded and took a deep breath before running towards the brick wall and my future.


	4. The Hogwarts Express

I opened my eyes and gasped. Waiting by a platform was a bright scarlet steam engine, the platform was crowded with people all pushing to get on the train first. I looked up and right above my head was a sign that read, "Hogwarts Express, eleven 'o' clock"

"Welcome to Platform Nine and Three Quarters"

I jumped at the sound of Seth's voice right next to my ear and glared at him.

"Don't do that" I growled. My nerves were making me jumpy. Seth laughed and pushed me forward.

"Come on, you want to find a good compartment"

He took my cart and pushed his way through the crowd, towards the nearest door. He grabbed my trunk and pulled it into an empty compartment while I carried Gem in her basket. Seth hopped off the train and smiled at me. I blinked again the tears that I could feel coming.

"Don't cry Tessy. You'll be fine at Hogwarts and don't you dare forget to write" Seth said sternly but there was still a twinkle of laughter in his blue eyes, "I want to hear everything"

I laughed and wiped my eyes. "I'm going to miss you Seth"

"Me too, Tessy, me too"

I hugged my brother and than the train let out a loud whistle. I saw a few kids rush back towards the train and close the door just as the train began to move. I waved to Seth through the window until we turned a corner and he disappeared.

I sighed. I felt so alone without my brother. Gem poked her head out her basket and rubbed her cheek on my hand. I smiled and rubbed behind her ear.

"I guess it's just the two of us now, huh?" I whispered.

"Um excuse me" There was a soft knock on the compartment door and I jumped. A pretty girl with long red hair widened her bright green eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you"

I shook my head. "Don't worry about it"

The girl nodded. "Anyway, I was wondering if my two friends and I could join you in this compartment? Everywhere else is full"

I nodded. "Yes, of course"

The girl grinned and yelled down the hall. "Hey! James, Sirius! There's a compartment down here!"

A moment later I heard a boy yell back. "We're coming, Lily! We're coming!"

The girl giggled and sat across from me. She smiled. "Hi, I'm Lily"

I couldn't help but smile back. "Hi Lily. My name is Tessa"

"So what House are you in? I'm in Gryffindor" Lily grinned.

I smiled nervously. "Actually, this is my first year at Hogwarts – well my last year really, I got kicked out of my old magic school in America but my mother was able to get me into Hogwarts"

"You're from America?" A boy's voice asked. Lily and I both looked up to see Sirius and the boy with the brown eyes standing in the compartment doorway.

"James," Lily jumped up from her seat and kissed the brown eyed boy on the lips, this is Tessa"

"Hi" I smiled.

"Hey" James grinned as he sat down next to Lily.

Sirius rolled his eyes at James and Lily and sat down next to me.

"Ignore them" he whispered to me, "They're going to be snogging each other the whole ride to Hogwarts"

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Lily glared at Sirius.

"Oh be quiet Black"

Sirius chuckled before leaning against the wall of the compartment and closing his eyes. Lily looked at me and smiled.

"So Tessa, are you excited about going to Hogwarts?" She asked.

"More nervous than excited since I have to meet Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall to be Sorted" I said nervously.

"As long as you're not Sorted into Slytherin, you'll be fine" Sirius mumbled.

"So Slytherin is bad than?" I asked.

"Most people who are in Slytherin grow up to become Dark Wizards" James said, as he played with a piece of Lily's hair.

"So no pressure than" I muttered, mostly to myself.

"Stop worrying" Sirius patted my leg with his hand. I stiffened and I felt my face get hot. I looked out the window, using my thick black hair was a curtain to hide my blushing face. I saw Lily glance at me and than at Sirius, she smiled at little before turning to James.

I sighed as I watched the changing landscapes as the train sped past farms and rolling hills. This was going to be a interesting school year.


End file.

Harry Potter, Humor, Romance