July 31, 1991

I take a deep breath, turning onto my side in the soft bed to find more space, only to end up finding a rather hard floor instead. Sleep vanishes in less than a second, leaving only a sore bottom from the fall. I open one eye and raise my hand to my face to shield myself from the sunlight. Merlin, I would have preferred a gentler awakening.

I sit up, scanning the room down to the smallest detail and raising an eyebrow when I realize that my mother isn't in bed. I jump to my feet, my heart pounding in my chest at the dark thought now crossing my mind. I hope she's okay... I would never forgive myself if I didn't help her when she needs me.

I snap my fingers, and the sheet arranges itself in an instant as I start searching through the closet for something to wear. I have no idea how warm it will be today, so I grab a pair of cream-colored pants and a blue t-shirt, slip them on, and sit in front of the mirror. My hair is a tangled mess of brown, and I think I spotted a tuft of dust at the ends of some strands. I huff in irritation at this lovely sight, then grab the brush and try to untangle it as best as I can.

I really didn't want to start the morning like this; it's awful to spend an hour getting my hair to behave. Maybe I should cut it shorter, so my daily struggle would finally disappear. I smile as I put the brush back, snapping my fingers once more before my brown locks now reach only to my shoulders.

I open one of the drawers, the golden gleam inside catching my attention. I pull out the small gold necklace, the name Lyra making my heart skip a beat for a second. My mother told me that I received it at birth from my aunt and uncle, some of the best people in this world. Every time I see it, I feel like I hear screams, as if in a dream.

I've been too afraid to ask my mother about that cursed night when we lost our family, preferring to keep it to myself until she's ready to talk about it. However, I can't explain the presence of those screams since I wasn't there when the two were killed.

James and Lily Potter, two good people and skilled wizards, were coldly murdered by Voldemort, the darkest wizard of our time. It's said that he tried to do the same to Harry, my cousin, but the curse backfired on him. Some say he's dead, others believe he will return to finish what he started. My mother tends to believe the latter, and so have I in recent years since I've learned part of the story.

I sigh softly, putting it around my neck. It's what I have left of them, and I plan to wear it proudly every day, hoping that my mother will have the courage to tell him she's his aunt... or to tell her friends that she's still alive. Growing up in Hogwarts Castle, the school for witches and wizards, I learned that no one outside of it knows that my mother is still alive. The outside world believes that the Vampire Queen committed suicide and that her daughter, whose father is unknown, is being raised by one of the vampire families in her kingdom.

Which is incorrect, but the rumor has spread anyway. I don't know what my mother's intention was when she asked Grandpa Albus to declare that in the Daily Prophet many years ago; I hope I'll find out one day. I sigh and decide to go look for her, a bit fearful that I'll find her in a deplorable state again.

My mother has some strange health problems that have made me very cautious around her. I've found her unconscious many times, sometimes even bleeding, which scared me terribly the first time. I didn't know what was happening to her, nor how her hair changed from black to brown without magic, or how the color drained from her cheeks daily, not to mention the chest pains. I gradually realized that she's sick and that the treatments she's taking are meant to keep her body strong.

Uncle Merek and Aunt Kaytelin told me that she's been like this since before I was born, from the time when she fought against Voldemort. I later deduced that these are the effects of some spells or rituals, but that didn't stop me from worrying. Or from admiring her.

She walks with her head held high, rarely smiles in the presence of others, but always does so around me. She knows powerful spells, knows how to cast them, takes care of me, and has played with me for hours. We've ridden together, flown together on a broomstick, and she's shown me how strong she is. She's my role model.

Alright, Lyra, enough with the memories. I step out of the room, then slide down the banister of the stairs. I leap off just before I reach the bottom and land on my feet, just like I learned from some older students. I run towards the kitchen with a big smile on my face and find the woman who raised me, leaning against the counter. Her hair is tied up in a messy bun with her wand, a few strands escaping here and there. She's wearing black jeans, a black tank top, several rings on her fingers, and holding a mug, talking to someone I only now notice. Merlin, what is she doing here?

"Grandma?" I ask timidly, a little scared that I interrupted their conversation.

The two women turn their attention to me, and I feel myself blush a bit. My eyes dart to the older woman's face, her glasses resting on the tip of her nose before she takes them off and extends a hand towards me. I run into her arms in an instant, missing her presence during the summer.

Minerva McGonagall is one of the professors at Hogwarts and the one I look forward to seeing when the school year starts. She teaches Transfiguration, is the head of Gryffindor house, one of the strictest teachers, and the sweetest person. Her homemade sweets are the tastiest.

"My darling," she says gently as she kisses my forehead. "I didn't expect to see you so early in the morning."

You wouldn't have if I hadn't fallen out of bed and sprawled on the floor like a pie.

"I didn't think I'd see you either. What are you doing here? You said you'd visit on Saturday."

"We have something to discuss with you, so I asked her to come a bit earlier," my mother updates me as she sits on the chair to the right.

My eyebrows shoot up with curiosity. I look from one to the other, then sit on the chair to the left of my grandmother. I have no idea what they want to talk about, unless they found out about my last prank during the end-of-year feast. Oh, God, do they know I'm responsible for the great squeaking?

Before the feast started, I put a few drops of a potion into everyone's food and drink that made them squeak like mice until the next morning. If they found out, they definitely won't let me near Severus and his personal stash of ingredients again. Damn it!

"What about?" I ask calmly, successfully masking the nervousness inside me.

Thank you, Sev, for that lesson!

The two women exchange a knowing glance, then their lips curl into small smiles. My eyes follow Minnie's hand as she pulls a sealed envelope from an inside pocket, placing it on the table and sliding it towards me. I look at it, bewildered. What is it supposed to be?

I reach for it, analyzing the school crest and the green ink writing on the back, immediately recognizing Grandpa Albus's handwriting. My name is written there, along with the address here, and I start trembling with excitement. I quietly open it, slowly, as if I want to drag out the moment. I'm scared because I have a vague idea of what it might be, but it seems too early.

I pull out the letter, and my jaw would hit the ground if it could. I begin reading the lines carefully, utterly shocked, and tears fill my eyes.

"'Dear Miss Evans, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted...'"

My voice dies at this moment. I lift my head towards the two women, utterly stunned. This is the kind of letter every new student accepted to Hogwarts receives when they've already turned eleven. But I don't understand how... how I'll become a student this year when I don't turn eleven until December twenty-fifth.

"How...? How is this possible? I'm not even the right age yet!" I exclaim, wiping the tears from my cheeks.

My mother takes my hands in hers and kisses them lovingly, while Minnie offers me a white handkerchief. She probably expected me to burst into tears like a baby.

"We spoke with all the professors," my mother begins, squeezing my hand. "We decided to make you the only exception to the rule, especially since you grew up with us. I know it might seem unfair to other children in your situation, but you are ours. You've already learned more than most students, and we didn't want to delay any longer."

"Plus, you'll be in the same year as Harry and Draco. We thought it would be a good idea to have them by your side."

My lips tremble with emotion, then I jump off the chair to hug them both. Merlin, I never thought I'd be studying with my best friend and the cousin I've been waiting so long to meet in just a month! Only one month until I see Harry, just one...

However, there's something that bothers me. I pull back from the two women, wipe my eyes, and look at them seriously.

"Isn't this favoritism?" I ask seriously, thinking about how my classmates will view my arrival. I don't even want to know.

Minnie sighs, adjusting her glasses on her nose. Yes, another headache from me; she should thank me for sparing her from all the pranks Draco wanted to pull on her.

"Ly, this was a joint decision, and we even discussed it with Cornelius. Albus came up with a believable lie so that incompetent fool wouldn't ask if Cath is alive. He told him I took care of you, raising you at Hogwarts with the rest of my colleagues."

"Try to understand, sweetie, this isn't favoritism. It's simply an exception to the rule, which has happened before when I was a student."

My lips form a thin line, just like Minnie does when she's displeased. It's not just that I'm worried about, but also how things will go during classes. As they said, they all raised me and have clearly developed a certain level of affection for me. I don't want any unfairness just because I'm their child.

"But how will it be in classes? I don't want to be your favorite just because of who I am or get points for nothing," I whisper, looking down. "I want to be treated like the rest."

"And you will be," Minnie says, lifting my chin. "Do you think your dear mother got special treatment from us?"

"I got detentions and assignments from you, definitely not special treatment," my mother sticks her tongue out at Grandma, making her chuckle. "Lyra, I was a prankster like you and got into trouble almost daily. I got so many punishments I lost count. Don't worry, we'll treat you like just any other student."

"That's during school hours. I'm not saying no to hugs after that or on weekends, maybe even when no one's looking," Minnie says with a mischievous smile, winking at me.

I could never give that up. I'm the kind of kid who loves being hugged all the time. I wonder if Severus will ever give me even one. His hugs seem the warmest, after Mom's, of course. This statement shouldn't be heard by her; she'd probably break my legs.

Severus and Mom haven't gotten along for years. I learned that they've been this way since school and haven't stopped. But I see a certain chemistry between them, something unseen but felt. Both are broken inside, both have suffered immensely, but the difference is Sev never had a shoulder to cry on, whereas Mom did but didn't want to. To sum it up, they're both stubborn, giving me quite a headache.

That's why I decided, along with Draco, Sev's godson, to try to bring them together in different situations to see how they react. Indeed, we managed to annoy them a lot, and they often scolded us for being troublesome, but we have the best intentions. Intentions that must remain hidden for now; I don't want my hopes dashed too soon.

"Minnie, we both know you won't hold back for long," Mom says with a small grin. "Neither will I; it would be like asking me not to love my daughter."

"I wasn't talking about hugs, you know that. I don't want to be favored in classes just because I grew up with you," I admit seriously and a bit worried.

I see my mom get up from her chair, circle the table, and crouch in front of me. She kisses both my hands, placing them on her soft cheeks. I adore our little gestures; they give us those mother-daughter moments of complicity.

"You won't be, sweetie. But if it happens that you know the answer, we can't just not call on you or anything like that. Have you seen me favoring Cedric or Caelin? Or Sasha?"

I shake my head, feeling reassured. All three are her godchildren, and I consider them like my older cousins who are very protective of me. Cedric is the son of Amos and Serenity Diggory, people I haven't met yet because they believe my mom is dead.

Caelin Booth, two years older than me, is the son of Rayn and Kayla, a couple of vampires three years younger than my mom who are originally from America, but they also studied at Hogwarts. They live in the kingdom my mom inherited, along with Merek and Kaytelin, who take care of them while my mom teaches during the school year. They have Sasha, a crazy redhead a year older than me.

I spent my childhood with them, and I've come to see them as my family for whom I would give my life. I only have good memories with them, and I wouldn't want to change anything from what I've lived with them until now. I smile slightly as I stroke the deep circles under my mom's eyes, which make my skin crawl.

I wish I could help you as much as you help me.

" I believe you, alright. Now," I murmur as I take the second letter from the envelope on the table, "I need to get all these things. I was thinking we could go to Diagon Alley tomorrow because the list is long, and I don't think there will be much left in the shops at the end of the summer. What do you think?"

Minnie looks uncertainly at my mom, then takes a deep breath under my insistent gaze. Oh, brother, I already have a vague suspicion of what she's going to say, and I don't like it. I bite the inside of my cheek, waiting for one of them to say something.

I'm one hundred percent convinced that my mom will say no, because of the cover story we've had so far. It's always been like this, she's refused any chance to go to a crowded place even for my sake. I would have liked to have a normal visit to Diagon Alley with her, to eat ice cream and explore the shops like parents do with their children.

I know she loves me and has sacrificed a big part of her life for me and Harry. My cousin has no idea how many visits she made to Privet Drive to check on him, how many packages she sent secretly through Mrs. Figg to make him feel loved in one way or another. Then there's me, she refused to rebuild her life just to raise me.

She put herself last, and now she's too afraid to go out into the world, knowing that would make me happy.

" Sweetie, I won't be able to come with you, no matter how much I want to," says my mom sadly, caressing my palm.

"And I have to leave tomorrow, muffin. I'm sorry, believe me, I am, but how about we go at the end of the month?" suggests Granny, tapping my knee gently.

The first of August is always the busiest day, and I could make friends before the school year starts. There's also one more thing: Draco will be on Diagon Alley tomorrow, which is an extra reason to go because I miss my buddy, the perfect partner for the most devilish pranks.

There's a chance I might see Harry... I want to meet my cousin, see if there are any similarities between him and my uncles, anything. I sigh, resting my chin in my hand.

" Minnie, do you know anyone who can take Lyra?" my mom asks in a whisper.

Then I remember an old conversation. Severus mentioned he needs to restock his potion ingredients and that the shop he frequents usually gets new stock on the first of August! I almost jump with joy, except I have no idea how to tell my mom. She's quite reticent when it comes to him.

Maybe if... hmm, I think it's a good idea. Draco, I'm putting you forward because you're the only one who comes to mind right now and the only one who can keep a secret about this. Merlin, make sure Mom doesn't realize I'm lying at this moment!

" I know someone," I say excitedly. "Draco is coming with his mom tomorrow, maybe I can convince him to take me along."

Convince him to cover for me, more like it. I'm lucky he will understand and do it for me, not to mention he owes me a few hugs. Mom looks at Minnie, then sighs softly, eventually nodding. My smile widens, and I start hopping around the kitchen like a little kid.

Besides my desire to see Severus and Draco, there's something inside me that's been screaming for a long time. Today is Harry's birthday, his eleventh, which means there's a possibility he might come tomorrow with Hagrid. That's my main reason for wanting to go to Diagon Alley tomorrow.

Happiness explodes in every cell of my body. I can't wait to meet you, cousin, I can't wait for us to get close enough that I can consider you my brother. Because you deserve a good family, and I want us to be that family.