K9Leo

“Oh.” He gasped as he looked at you with fright in his eyes.

“We survived!” You laughed before wincing, feeling your ribs arch. It didn’t feel broken, but it was definitely bruised from your solo fight with the knight statues earlier.

“Are you all right?” Prof. Fig said with worry.

“Do you happen to have anymore of that green healing potion from earlier?” You hissed with what you were certain was a maniac smile. “I think the knight statues might have gotten a hit or two earlier when I was fighting them solo Doc." You chuckled

“You fought the knight statues again?!?!” Prof. Fig gasped before he searched through his satchel and pulled out the green healing potion. “When did that happened? Was it after we were separated?” he asked as he gave you the vial.

You nodded.

“After we fought the knights, the room went dark. When I used lumos to see again, you weren’t there anymore. I had to follow some sparkler wisps the floor made and I entered another section of the room and saw the glow on the floor again. That started another fight with the statues. There were six at the start that time.” You frowned as you uncorked the vial.

“Six statues?” Prof. Fig gasped as you looked at him.

“Yep. More popped up after I defeated them. But I won.” You smirked before you lifted your healing potion vial to him. “Cheers to that!” You laughed before looking at the dreadful drink with a wince.

Make it fun to get this over with Kiki. You thought to yourself.

“Bottoms up Doc! We we won.” You grinned before drowning your healing potion down, hoping that a few quick swallows will save you the pain of tasting that foul concoction.

It didn’t.

But it did do its job as you felt the pain around your torso slowly vanished…along with your energy. You felt dizziness strike you as the world became wobbly before you felt steady hands on your shoulder and saw the concerned eyes of your magical guardian.

“Maybe we should sit down a bit and let the potion do it job. It’s better if you don’t chug it at once like it’s some Firewhiskey shot.” He said. You lifted your head to meet his worried gray eyes.

“Why not? I don’t like how it taste.” You whined. You didn’t care if it made you sound like a child, you had a long day of fighting, surviving trials and more importantly, not dying multiple times. God forbid if your Mami knew. She might get a heart attack from hearing the day you had before wanting to fight everything you faced through yourself with a paleta or a correa to strike whatever had decided to hurt her baby.

“Chugging Wiggenweld potion down like a shot will hasten the healing but it will drain your magic quicker to do so. Dizziness is one effect of chugging Wiggenweld. Chugging multiples of the healing potion can knock you out. Unfortunately, you have to sip it for best healing results. Though it wouldn’t surprise me if it was pure adrenaline that was keeping you up until now. We’ve been through a lot today MC. We dealt with danger that most people don’t face in their life time.” He said with a sad smile. “Now come, let’s sit over there, away from this magical arch that we just came from and give you a moment to recover.”

Professor Fig guided you to a nearby rock that served as your backrest as you sat down on the cool soil. You leaned against the rock. Then Prof. Fig sat down on the ground next to you.

Prof. Fig then took out another container from his satchel, a thermos, opened it up and handled it to you.

You looked at him.

“It’s hot chocolate. I’m certain you’re aware it’s what the Native Mexicans and Mesoamericans used to drink after using up all their magical reserves or mana, as you in the States call it. I found myself rather fond of it after you reintroduced me to the beverage. Makes it easier to recover after teaching summer mastery classes all day…or to deal with the daily presences of dementors.” He frowned.

“Dementors?” You asked before taking a zip of the drink. You couldn’t help but hum as you felt the warm thick liquid fill your mouth, welcoming you home.

“Soul-sucking magical creatures. One of the most depressing things to be around. Powerful in their own might as well. Hopefully you can master the patronus spell soon under my tutorage. I’m afraid you might need it from how things are looking.” He frowned before sighing as he stared out into the forest. “Speaking of power, I’ve never seen so powerful a goblin. He seems wholly unaffected by my magic.”

“Oh good…I was afraid that it was normal for goblins to absorb magic like that.” You pouted as you looked around you. “Doc…where are we?”

Prof. Fig hummed as he looked around before chuckling with a smile.

“Well, I’ll be. It seems those who set up the Pensieve, the locket – and the path to both – wanted someone with your ability to end up here. We’re on one of the hiking paths nearby Hogsmeade. Hogsmeade Forest to be exact. Its part of the larger Hogwarts Forest that your future peers and Professors had infamously nicknamed it as the Forbidden Forest." Prof. Fig snickered with a smile before sighing. "Unfortunately, I worry that you might be too magically drained from our recent fight, so I rather not apparated us to the forest entrance.” Prof. Fig frowned.

"So what now?" You asked

“How do you feel about walking MC? From what I can remember, it will take us a few minutes to follow that path that should take us to the entrance.” He said as he pointed the to the trails that cut through the forest.

“I think I can, just give me a few more minutes to rest. By then, I think I’ll be ready to go.” You smiled.

“Understood. Rest, take all the time you need MC. Either way, we’ll be fashionably late. On the bright side, your eyes color returned back to its original state.” Prof. Fig smiled.

“It did?” You felt your eyebrows rise in shock and you took out your iPod touch. As you looked at the black screen, your mirror reflection no longer showed those eerie primordial blue eyes staring back at you. Instead, you saw yourself.

They were brown once more.

You laughed as you looked at Prof. Fig with a toothy grin.

“I’m back to normal Doc!”

“And let’s hope it stays that way too. I rather have everything that happened here kept under wraps for now until we know more about what we faced.” He frowned. “I hate to think what would happen to you if Albus even catches a sniff of this, considering how he treats Harry; speaking of which, have you ever heard of occulumency?”

“Isn’t that the magical practice of shielding your mind against legillimency?” You frowned, already not liking where things were going.

“Yes, it is indeed my sharp pupil.” Prof. Fig sighed. “I’ll be honest with you, there are a number of faculty members I have reservations towards – the headmaster being the main one – to be privy to your abilities. Originally, I recommended you for admission at Hogwarts to the Ministry as we only select a small number of international magical transfers annually. While its rather unheard of someone starting as a fourth year, I believe you deserved a better magical education than what you can get locally after learning more about you. Although now…I fear to regret that decision with what we might have to face. Especially with these dementors acting as magical patrols with the escape of outlaw Sirius Black recently.”

“Sirius Black? Wait a minute…I remember hearing that name on the news! Isn’t he that guy that escaped prison? I think he committed some mass murder around the time I was a baby back in the mid-90s wasn’t it?” You frowned.

“The very same one. The ministry had to resort to spreading the news in the muggle world to try to make the hunt for him easier.” Prof. Fig sighed. “He was known for betraying his best friend and brother in all but name, leaking their safe house to Lord Baltimore in the magical world and then murdering his other best friend.” He said with a huff.

Lord Baltimore is how you referred to Lord Voldemort. It came from your parents mispronouncing  his name the first time when they read it in the old magical travel advisories warnings about going to Great Britain in the 90s before moving to London.

Ever since Prof. Fig heard your parent mispronounce the dead terrorist name, that name stuck for the two of you.

To this day, MACUSA still kept the warnings up- more as a reminder to keep alert about how not all followers were captured and brought to court as well as the fact on how much blood status still matters in the UK. It was one of the reasons way your own godfather, Aiden warned you -as well as MACUSA- to state you were a half-blood. In fact, it was a common advisory told to all traveling Americans to state they were half-bloods when traveling to the UK. It wasn't as if the magical Brits would check since abroad, America had the rep of people being mixed even in the magical world. It also helped that magical surnames were just as common in the nomaj population as they were in the magical population in the US.

"What a backstabber!" You huffed, learning more about the murder before frowning. "Wait, so how does Dog Star betraying his bestie lead to him murdering people? Or was that just a lie the UK mage gov't made up about Sirius so they have assistance from the nomaj population around them to help look out for him?"

“No, it's all true MC. Sirius Black had betrayed his friends on that Halloween night in 96’. He murdered thirteen muggles on that street."

"How did they know it was him and not some random nomaj hating mage?" You said as you rolled the empty vial in your hand.

"They found him at the scene of the crime laughing like a lunatic after he blew up a street that killed 13 muggles or so there as well as his best friend. All that remained of his former best friend, Peter Pettigrew was a finger."

"A finger." You said, feeling one eyebrow go up in surprise.

"Indeed."

How is a finger a sole remain if Dog Star blew up the rest of Pete's body? Wouldn't there be other body parts lying scattered around? You thought to yourself with a hum as you stared back at the vial, trying to understand what spells could cause a quick decay of a corpse. While you were aware there were spells made to quickly kill from your magical Mayan history lessons you took for short time while visiting family in Guatemala, none ever mention decaying the body after blowing it up.

As far as you were aware, the most deadly spells ever made that you knew were created in the kitchen by women to help them prepare food or preserve it. From what you learned between your magical Mayan history lessons and life, the kitchen skills being applied to humans was what made them deadly. And there is no way a person would invent a spell to blow up food and cause it to decay instantly like what happened to Pete.

"That's a good question. One I'm afraid that won't be answered since at this point Black must have gone mad by now in Azkaban." Prof. Fig said as you slightly jumped, startled at his answer.

"Oh. I didn't realize I said that thought outloud." You laughed nervously. It was a personal trait you could do without, especially when your former classmates had mocked you once or twice before for talking to yourself.

But it's hard not to when saying stuff out loud made it easier to think things through instead of keeping it all in your head.

"No, it's alright. It's good to see you question and think things through. It's not often a thing one at your age does." Prof. Fig said as you sighed and smiled at him with some relief.

"So…I'm guessing Azkaban is a prison then, right? A magical one?"

"It is indeed. Black was sent to Azkaban when the Aurors caught him. Now he escaped. The only relief that I used to have is that at least you, my charge, will be safe here at Hogwarts. That is before the Ministry had approved the dementors for use as extra security. I worry how that's going to affect you and your peers at school since they are known to literally cause depression. While it helps keep prisoners docile, students aren't prisoners.”

“Why didn't we get a warning about this? About the dementors in school or Sirius Black?” You said as you looked at him with minor disgust. “What about my parents? Or my siblings? Are they not safe back at home? How much danger will I be going to school with these Soul Suckers?” You crossed your arms with a frown as you looked at Prof. Fig.

You were a chaos magnet.

Since you were eleven years old, your old magic seemed to get you in situations that could've been avoided between having a run in with the Jersey Devils, Sleepy Hollow's Headless Horseman and Champ.

Champ still gave you shivers.

A magical lake dragon you didn't know existed or was real, Champ lived up in Lake Champlain and supposedly a cousin creature to the Loch Ness Monster, another variant of a lake dragon.

The last thing you needed at your new school was for trouble to finds you again and stick you with the 'strange kid to stay away from' label. You already dealt with that before and you considered yourself lucky to still even make a friend group back in your suburban neighborhood with its mowed lawns, white picketed fences and the subtly need to blend in. Even in the magical side of your area.

 Prof. Fig sighed.

“They're safe as long as the wards I placed on your current dwelling stand. I even contracted some goblins at Gringotts to add more on your parents’ behalf. Your folks stated that the wards they are getting will only allow magical people into your home as long as your parents them grant access to enter. I informed them of the current situation one of the few times you and I weren’t together when I talked to them over tea. We both agreed to the idea."

"But what about the other First Gens- I mean Muggleborns?" You said, accidentally using American terminology instead of the British ones. You still got baffled by how you didn't realize how many different words the English language can have for the same thing when you clearly knew that this fact was EXTREMELY true for the Spanish language.

THERE WERE MORE THAN ELEVEN WORDS FOR STRAW IN SPANISH.

You shouldn't be surprised at the different words for the same thing between different English speaking countries.

And yet you were.

You rolled the empty Wiggleweld vial in between your hands as the half full hot chocolate thermos sat on your lap.

"I made a petition to the Ministry, asking them to do something similar for the Muggle-born families after your parents brought up concerns for others. Unfortunately, it seems as if we’re trying to forgot the reason why Muggle-borns have certain special protection status after the Civil Magical Blood War. However, some of my colleagues seem to be in agreement with me and we’re providing basic guard warding just in case.”

“Thank you. For looking out for me. And others as well.” You softly smiled.

“I’m your magical guardian. Someone has to keep watch in this magical world. I’m not letting you join us blind.” He grinned. “I got your back all the way though MC. You are my first magical charge and I'll see to it that you and your loved ones are safe.”

“I think I’m ready to walk now Prof. Fig. I feel more energized.” You said as you passed him back the now-closed thermos before pocketing the empty vial.

“Good. Don’t be afraid to ask for a break though.” Prof. Fig smiled as he got up and gave you a hand to get up too.

“I won’t. Hopefully, my eyes remain the same color from here on out.” You grinned before chuckling, “Having my eyes switch colors between blue and my normal brown will definitely make my life a lot more difficult to hide my Ancient Magic.” You said as you grabbed his hand and let him pull you up.

“I doubt that there will be anything that would activate it MC. We’re not getting into another misadventure involving ancient magic on our way back.” Prof. Fig. laughed.

…

“EXPECTO PATRONUS!” Prof. Fig yelled as a large dog – an Irish Wolfhound you think – appeared from his wand. The large glowing silvery-white canine chased away the Dementors as if they were birds at a park that surrounded the two of you on the footpath to Hogwarts. The Irish Wolfhound patronus then made it way back towards the two of you, after the Dementors left to who knows where. Once the hound patronus was next to you, its stood on its back paws and laid its front paws on your shoulder to give you a cool lick on your face before it walked to Prof. Fig and stood next to him.

Prof Fig gave it a pat on the head before frowning as he saw your face.

“It’s looks like you might have focus on keeping those blues eyes whenever there aren’t Dementors. It seems like whatever magic they carry is activating what ever a-typical magic you have.” Prof Fig said in reference to your Ancient Magic.

“I’ll try my best Doc.” You sighed as you pullout out your iPod touch and looked at yourself in the black screen of it. The eerie glowing blue eyes were back. White lighting swirled, dancing in your blue pupils as if they were a stage for the world to see them perform.

Of course, things couldn’t be normal when it came to you.

Now how to actively keep my eyes glowing otherworldly lighting blue? You thought with a frown as you placed your iPod touch away and looked at Prof. Fig with a frown.

“But how will I do that if I don’t know what I’m doing? Or how I’m doing it?” You said as the two of you resumed your walk.

“Focus on how different your magic feel before the dementors and after their presence. It’s the only idea that I have at the moment, but I’m sure I’ll think of more on our way there.” He smiled as he patted your shoulder. “Don’t worry so much for now, it’s only the two of us. Now lets move forward. My patronus, Clover, here will protect us from any future attacks.” He grinned as he watched you pat the silvery dog.

Its fur felt almost real as you threaded your fingers over the canine patronus's cooled fur. And petting it give you back happiness that had vanished the moment the dementors came. Being around them brought back all the negative feelings and concerns you felt from when your Papi first announced to your family about moving to the UK. Then the ache of leaving your friends and life behind to move to London and now the solitude you felt after leaving your family behind to go to Scotland. While you tried to put on a brave face for your younger siblings and your parents, adjusting to the moves burnt you more than you expected or wanted to admit to.

Petting Clover brought you back good memories that had happened since then. Memories like your family's first picnic at Hyde Park, going to Mocondo Ave (the Latino tutoring center in London) and connecting to your magical ethnic roots as well as making new friends there too! Then there were the summer mornings where Prof. Fig would practice and review with you on spells you should know by now at Hogwarts as well as the movie nights your family invited him to join at home.

Memories that reminded you there was there was always light in the darkest times.

You just had to remember them.

You looked at Prof. Fig with small smile.

“When can you teach me the patronus spell?” You said with determined narrow eyes as you still petted Clover.

“After we get you settled in. I’ll send you an owl or a messenger. Now let’s keep moving. We have a Sorting Ceremony to get to.” Prof Fig smiled with a spark in his eyes before the two of you started walking once more. Clover ran around the two of you as the clear night stars glimmering bright and the moonlight smiled down upon the two of you as Prof Fig begin telling the story of meeting his wife for the first time and their own house sorting.

…

By the time the two of you arrived to the two big wooden oak doors entrance, you were certain that at least an hour had passed since the two of you arrived at the magical forest. A quick check on your iPod Touch only proved it.

The quietness of the room behind the doors was the second proof that you missed out on all first night orientation evening events. The resigned sigh that Prof. Fig gave when he looked back at you after checking the room only compounded the evidence as Prof. Fig stated the truth:

“Looks like we have some bad new MC, you missed the sorting ceremony.” He said with a frown.

“So…what does that mean for me?” You frowned back as you crossed your arms.

“For now…I think it might be best to drop by the Hospital Wing and have the matron do a quick overview of your health after everything that has happened. Once she gives you the okay, we’ll see what lodgings we can provide.” He smiled.

“Wait? I can’t get a dorm room without being sorted?” You frowned.

“Unfortunately, as a student, you can’t. For right now, I’m certain Hogwarts can provide you one of the guest rooms in the same area as the professor’s lodgings. At least until you’re sorted and you can move in within your house dorms.” Prof. Fig smiled.

“When do you think that’ll be?” You said as you tilted your head.

“If Headmaster Dumbledore is feeling generous to not make a big deal out of this, it will be for tomorrow evening.”

“If?” You narrowed your eyebrows in confusion.

“Headmaster Dumbledore is known to be rather extravagant and would want to welcome you in the best way as possible. I wouldn’t put it pass him to have you sorted this Friday evening when we can have the entire student population watching.”

“Great.” You winced with a grinned.

The last thing you were looking for was to be the new girl with an unwanted rep. You didn’t need to experience that more than once.

Last time I was known as the new girl with the broken arm. What will I be know as this time?

“Would you prefer to be sorted privately?” Prof. Fig said as he placed his hand on your shoulder with warm gray eyes meeting yours.

“I rather be sorted in public…at least I can still try to make that part normal.” You smiled rather shakily. Being sorted in private will make it worse.

“Good to hear it. For now, let’s go to the Hospital Wing and have you checked up.” Prof. Fig said as he led you to what you couldn’t help but refer it to mentally as the Healer’s Office thanks to your American upbringing.

…

After the visit to the Healer’s Office –well, it was more like the Healer’s Wing with how spacious it was– you were given a clean bill of health other than some minor cuts and bruises that the Healer took care of. The visit ended with a magical replenisher potion given to you to take before bed. The healer wasn’t pleased from the magical drainage you had from your earlier squabble with the giant spiders you and Prof. Fig had to encounter in the forest.

Nor was she pleased about realizing the same thing your personal healer at home did about your odd magical core that had baffled any healer you met.

“It's rather odd Eleazar, your new ward’s magical core hasn’t completely stabilized yet like it does for most adolescents of her age. Usually, this instability ends at eleven but it’s still maturing as if she’s ten. Yet it's strong.” The woman said as she looked at Eleazar before looking at you. “Do you already know about this Ms. Martinez Cariaga?”

“Only for my entire life.” You frowned as you met Prof. Fig’s eyes. It was as if the two of you could communicate through telepathy. With a mutual nod, it was agreed silently. Your Ancient Magic core wasn’t fully developed yet but the Healer didn't need to know it was because you had Ancient Magic.

“Well, we can’t have you practicing magic without some extra magical nutrient in your system. I’m going to prescribe you a daily potion for you to take – with Eleazar’s permission here.” The healer said as she looked at him. “I do recommend it. If she nearly fainted from an Acromantula fight, that means she needs help stabilizing her core.”

Your eyes widen. Oh no no no no NO! NOT AGAIN!!!

“Can I not take potions again? Pleeeeeease.” You pouted with a puppy look.

“You were taking magical nutrient potions before?” The healer’s eyes widen.

“No. The potion they made me take is a mana vitamin potion and the healer said I could stop taking it seeing how I had better control over my magic earlier this summer!” You nervously grinned. You detested the bitter taste the vitamin potion left on your tongue for the day. Not even mint gum could get rid of it.

It was then that Prof. Fig and the Healer’s eyes met. They both had their own telepathy talk as they nodded to an agreement before they looked at you.

“A mana vitamin potion is same thing as a magical nutrient potion. I’ll prescribe a nightly potion for you to take along with a magical replenisher. With your magical guardian’s permission, I would like to get in contact with your healer in the States to know the standard dosage needed.”

“Permission granted Healer Blaine.”

“Good. I’ll look through her paperwork to get her information.” The healer smiled.

“My daily mana vitamin potion is the standard 250ml.”  You groaned before you listed out the ingredients and their usual dosage as well as how to brew it. The healer’s and Prof. Fig’s eyebrow lifted in surprised at how you knew all of this.

“What? I got tired of tasting that rotten sludge. I had to know how it was made make it taste so terrible! I even made it one time with a posologist in their apothecary.”

“You mean to say a potioneer right?” Healer Blaine said.

“A potioneer is someone who makes your magical medicine right?” You frowned as she nodded. Despite the fact that everyone here was speaking English, sometimes it felt like you were speaking a different language. UK English was way different than you had expected it from American English.

I want to go home. You thought. You could feel seven-year-old in you –the same kid who had to adjust moving into a new neighborhood and school– already planning ways to ditch school to go back to London with your family. Maybe we can convince our cousin to adopt us and we can go back home to New York? The seven-year-old in your thought. It’s been a long time since you felt like this again.

“Yes. They are the same thing, just different words. I’ll brew you a potion for you to take tonight. My personal brownie, Briar, will deliver it to you.”

“Do I have to?” You frowned as you glared at the floor. “Not even mint gum can get that bitter sour taste out of my mouth.”

“You’ll need something stronger than mint to wash it. Have you ever tried Mallowsweet before?” The healer said.

You shook your head at you looked up at her.

“It still has a similar mint-like flavor, but it’s more as if a lime and peppermint had a baby with a touch of green tea. The peppermint-like taste is the strongest of the three. I have some mellowsweet gum or leaves if you want to chew on it after taking the potion. I recommend chewing the leaves though, they do a better job of ridding you of the taste and leaves you smelling like the plant. It has a nice smell, especially if you either want to relax or focus; depending on what you want to do with it.” Healer Blaine smiled.

“I would like the leaves if you don’t mind.” You gave her a small smile.

…

After departing from the Healer’s wing, Prof. Fig had to leave to write up a report to the ministry. He planned to meet them in the morning after having breakfast with you at your request.

You didn’t want to eat alone in the cafeteria known as the Great Hall. You weren’t even housed!

You had enough to worry about as the new kid at school. You didn’t want to be known as the new loner. Or worse, the new loser.

“You’ll be fine MC, you’ll make life-long friends before you know it!” Prof. Fig said with a cheery voice as if he knew the outcome of this year.

“But I’m not even going to stay in the UK for long.” You frowned. “If I’m lucky…or unlucky depending how my dad’s new job goes, this might be the only year I’ll be here. Why should I even bother making friends if I’m only here for a few months?” You narrowed your eyebrows.

“I know change is tough Iñaki.” Prof. Fig said your name with a hand on your shoulder. “But if you only consider all the bad without all the good that can come, are you really giving yourself a fighting chance to have a good time at school? You’re allowed to be sad about change, but don’t let your sadness be the emotion to determine your future. You’ll never know what or who you’ll find if you give yourself the chance to enjoy life despite the sadness. That’s what you taught me.” He winked with a smile. “Now, I’ll leave you in Prof. Weasley’s hands in a moment. She’ll take you to your temporary quarters. You’ll be living there until you’re housed.”  

…

“I hope you find this room to your liking.” Prof. Weasley said as she welcomed you into your new room.

The room itself was a guest room for any Hogwarts visitors to take for the night. It would be your home for the next few days until Headmaster Dumbledore came back from his meeting in London. It had something to do with Dementors and getting rid of them in exchange for real people to guard the school after some incident that happened on the Hogwarts Express train.

You didn’t blame him. After your earlier encounter with them with Prof. Fig, you would do all that you can to avoid them while also taking up on Prof. Fig’s word to learn the Patronus charm.

"Thank Prof. Weasley, the room look sweet." You said without any lie in your words. The suite reminded you of a standard presidential hotel suite where there was a sitting area that had a couch and table with the bedroom sectioned off by a wall with its own private area with the entrance.

In fact, it reminded you of the STRAT Hotel presidental suite your family stayed at one time when you went to Vegas when you were younger when visiting your Tios in the West Coast. That presidential suite room held one of your favorite memories where you and your siblings had hung out playing cards with your cousin and Mami while the rest of the grown-ups went down stairs to see if they could get lucky at the slots.

You ended up winning at Blackjack against everyone and the night ended with a movie on the big hotel TV where Papi took over babysitting duties to four kids so Mami could have the rest of the night out with your Tios. He pre-ordered pizza and drinks and brought them in with him before Mami went out with your Tios as he took charge. Your siblings, cousin and you ended up sleeping in half-way through the film and the next morning, you woke up in the couch bed with your siblings and later found that Papi had carried your cousin, Fatima, to her bed in the suite she was staying in with her parents. That suite was connected to the Boulevard suite your family was staying in.

And now, you realized the Castle's guest room was an exact copy of the same STRAT Boulevard suite you stayed in a few summers ago.

"You can thank the Castle's magic. It work by transfiguring the guest room into something familiar for the person to feel more at home in. It seems as if your mind found a hotel room to be more of your comfort when staying in a new place."

"Yeah… I guess." You said as you walked in and dropped the only thing you still had with you considering how you lost everything else from the dragon attack. You gently laid your purple Fjallraven sling bag down on the coffee table and zipped it open to take out the few things you still had: "Utu" Uturunku, your stuffied jaguar, a spare change of clothes, your pajamas and your toothbrush. While there was more in the purple bag -it was magickified after you got it as a birthday gift to hold and carry more while weighing no more than three pounds-  you didn't feel like looking into the last reminders of your stuff considering how everything else was lost in the dragon attack.

"Hogwarts is more than willing to cover the cost to reimburse the things you lost." Prof. Weasley said. "It's the least we can do, considering the unexpected dragon attack Eleazar mentioned to me in passing."  You looked up to her with a small smile.

 "Thanks."

Prof. Weasley nodded with a soft smile in return. A smile that clearly said "I'm sorry you had a rough start."

"Classes start at 9. Your timetable should be available on the dinning table in this room. We're placing you under a typical Hufflepuff schedule for now since usually most transfers tend to find themselves placed there. If you need anything else, feel free to call to Deek and he'll get you what you need. He'll bring you up dinner if you ask. I'm aware that you missed it. "Prof. Weasley said with a sad smile. "I'll pick you up tomorrow morning at 7:30 to orientate you for your first day at Hogwarts."

You nodded with a thanks before Prof. Weasley finally left and you were alone in your room once more.

Deek had dropped by a few moments later, serving you dinner that consisted of a English pot roast served with pumpkin juice before departing. Dinner was a somber solo affair as you found yourself scrolling through pictures you had on your iPod Touch, reminiscing of your friends, you family…home.

You huffed and took your pajamas with you as you took a quick shower in the in bathroom, relieved to get the smell of soot, dirt and smoke off of you and replace it with the lavender chamomile soap, shampoo and conditioner the bathroom had provided. After showering, you quickly towel dried and threw on your pajamas before brushing your teeth. Once that was done, you grabbed Utu from the coffee table, turned off the lights and by the guidance of moonlight from the window, you threw yourself onto the King-sized bed before going under the covers. You curled around your small stuffed jaguar, as the day's events had finally hit you as you took out your iPod Touch, and hit PLAY on Shuffle for a random song.

'Take Me Home, Country Roads' started playing. It was one of the songs you sang in Chorus with two of your friends who was in it. Soon, you found yourself mumbling the word before realizing your cheeks were wet as you thought before you fell asleep,

I shouldn't have come.

I didn’t appreciate living in Sewanhaka as much as I should have. I was too busy moaning leaving Jackson Heights considering how rough it was to adjust to living in Sewanhaka. It feels like a town stuck in the 19 -‘Americana’ - 50’s somehow.

Right…I should mention this journal: this is my second time moving. The first was when I was seven.

And now I’m fourteen.

I guess there’s something to be said about the number seven screwing things up for me.

But I guess going back to my main point of all of this…I miss home.

I know I shouldn’t play it on repeat, but Boulevard of Broken Dream really does feel like feel like the soundtrack of my life. I’ve never really had a steady group of friends and once I did, once I had my circle that stayed…it’s gone.

It’s all back home.

Just like my wand.

...