I've been at Ron's house for nearly a week now and life at the Burrow, that's what Ron's place is called, is different compared to my home in Privet Drive. Even though Dad likes to keep the house tidy, it's still messy. But not as messy as the Weasley's house.

I spent the day after I got to the Burrow exploring; I found that they have a similar mirror to us-it talks to you, a ghoul in the attic above Ron's bedroom, gnomes that run around the garden...so much.

A few days after I got to the Burrow, my hair turned back to normal. For the past couple of days I've been trying to change my appearance, with only a little luck. The most I did was turn my hair brown for a day-then it went back to red.

Ever since I arrived at the Burrow, I decided to forget about Dobby, the House-Elf and what he told me, it probably isn't true.

As well as hanging with Ginny, Harry, Ron and Bonnie, I've been spending time with Fred and George. Their bedroom is so cool. They have their two beds in the corners of the room and heaps of experiments scattered on the floor. They've got their cauldron in the middle where they experiment. I've been helping them experiment; they're aiming to make some sweets that make you ill, it's not going well, and they cause random explosions-and in the Weasley house, the bangs and explosions are considered normal.

Mrs Weasley keeps spoiling Harry, Bonnie and I she's always helping us, giving us extra meals etc. I've noticed at the dinner table how popular we are; Mr Weasley always likes to sit in between Harry and I-there's sort of a seating plan-in one side: Harry, Mr Weasley, Me, Fred and George; the other side: Ron, Bonnie, Mrs Weasley and Percy(Ron's older brother who is in his 6th year). Simple.

Mr Weasley is really fascinated about muggles. At dinner, he sits next to Harry and asks him questions about muggles and technology. It's a bit annoying really. And then Fred sits next to me talking quietly about more experiments.

I finally hear from Dad one morning at breakfast. It's a letter. It reads:

Dear Sarah and Bonnie,

How is it going at the Burrow? How's Ron and Harry? I hope you are having fun.
I wanted to tell you both face to face, but, I've applied for a teaching job at Hogwarts. I'm not sure if I'll get in, because there is a teacher already chosen and I'm not sure how long they'll last. I applied for Defence Against the Dark Arts. I will give more details another time.
Have fun,

Dad.

A teaching job? Please hope he gets it, but then again, if he does I'll see him everyday and he'll be watching me...

I give him a reply telling him that Ron and Harry are fine, that we're having fun at the Burrow and that we're happy that he applied for a job and hope that he gets it.

A few days later from then, we all-Harry, Ron, Bonnie, Fred, George, Percy, Ginny and I -receive letters from Hogwarts.

It was really funny when Harry came down the stairs that morning, and when Ginny saw him, she knocked over a porridge bowl-she has been knocking things over since I got here whenever she sees Harry. She has a huge crush on him, it's so obvious.

There is silence as I open my letter from Hogwarts. It's just got a small note reminding me to catch the Hogwarts Express on September first and the list of books for the coming year:

Second years will require:

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk

Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart

Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart

Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Voyages with Vampire by Gilderoy Lockhart

Wandering with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart

Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart

Gilderoy Lockhart. I know him. He's a guy that's done lots of things for the wizarding world. I don't think that be did though. I guess the new teacher is a fan...

Fred comes over to me and reads over my shoulder.

"You've got Lockhart's books too!" He says. "The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan-bet it's a witch-"

"That's what I thought!" I exclaim.

"That lot won't come cheap," George says looking at Mr and Mrs Weasley. "Lockhart's books are really expensive..."

"Well, we'll manage," Mrs Weasley says. "We should be able to get some of Ginny's things second-hand."

Harry looks at Ginny. "Oh, are you starting at Hogwarts this year?"

Wow, Harry. I told you like twice...

Ginny nods, blushing as she sits her elbow into the butter dish. I snicker.

Soon Percy comes, with his Prefect badge pinned to his chest, and sits down on the remaining seat. He leaps up as soon as he sits down and picks up a grey thing. It looks like an owl...

"Errol!" Ron exclaims, taking the limp owl from Percy and detaching the letter from its wing. "He must have Hermione's answer! I wrote to her saying that Sarah and Bonnie were coming and that we were going to rescue Harry from the Dursley's."

Ron rips open the letter and reads:

Dear Ron, Sarah, Bonnie and Harry if you're there,

I hope everything is alright and that Harry's OK and that you didn't do anything illegal to get him out, Ron, because that would get Harry into trouble, too. I've been worried if Harry's been alright, will you please let me know at once, but perhaps you should use another owl, because I think another delivery would finish yours off.

I've been very busy with school work of course-how can she be?" Ron says in horror. "We're on holiday!"

"I've been too," I reply to him.

He just shakes his head- "And we're going to London next Wednesday to buy my new books. Why don't we meet up in Diagon Alley?
Let me know what's happening as soon as you can. Say hello to Sarah and Bonnie for me,

Love Hermione."he added

"Well, that fits nicely, we can go get your all your school things then, too," Mrs Weasley says, reading over Ron's shoulder. "What're you all planning to do today?"

Harry, Ron, Bonnie, Fred, George and I were planning to go up the hill to a small paddock to play Quidditch, although we have to be careful not to fly up too far. Instead of using real Quidditch balls, we'll have to use apples instead.

Five minutes, we're all marching up the hill with our broomsticks. We just threw the apples to one another and then played a 3 against 3 game of Quidditch; me Fred and George against Harry, Bonnie and Ron.

We did ask Percy if he wanted to play but he said he was busy. I'd only seen Percy at meals time as he was shut up in his room the rest of the time.

"Wish I knew what he was up to," Fred says on the way back. "He's not himself. His exam results came back the day before Harry did; twelve O.W.L's and he hardly gloated at all."

"Ordinary Wizarding Levels," George explains to Harry, seeing his confused look.

I know what O.W.L's are. They are very important exams that decide your future in the wizarding world. Very important.

"Bill got twelve too," George goes on. "If we're not careful, we'll have another Head Boy in the family."

Bill, Ron's older brother, was Head Boy too, as Fred and George told me. Bill is the eldest Weasley child. He works in Egypt for Gringotts.

"Dunno how Mum and Dad are going to afford all our school stuff this year." Fred says after a while. "Five sets of Lockhart's books! And plus Ginny need all her first year equipment-wand, robes, everything."

I don't know how to react. Harry and I have thousands if galleons stored under ground at Gringotts in our parents vault. I think the Weasley's are a but poor, if they, 1. Can't afford the school books and 2. Need to get second-hand stuff.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the following Wednesday morning, Mrs Weasley wakes us all up early so we can go school shopping and meet up with Hermione.

After a quick breakfast of bacon sandwiches, we pull on our coats and go over to the fireplace where we're using floo powder to get to Diagon Alley.

Mrs Weasley grabs a small flower pot that must have powder in it. "We're running low Arthur." She says, peering inside it. "We'll have to buy some more today...ah well, guests first! After you Harry dear!"

I look at Harry. He hasn't used floo powder before. He just stares at Mrs Weasley as she offers him the flower pot.

"W-what do I do?" He stammers.

"He's never travelled by floo powder before, mum." Ron says. "Sorry, forgot."

"Never?" Mr Weasley says. "But how did you get your school things last year?"

I butt in before Harry can answer. "I can show him how to do it Mrs Weasley." I say, grabbing some powder from the pot and stepping into the fireplace.

I drop the powder and say, "Diagon Alley!"

Once again, I go through the spinning sensation until I land on the cobbled road of Diagon Alley.

Made it!

I anxiously wait for Harry. What if he goes through the wrong grate?

Soon Fred and George appear. They look up at me.

"Sarah! Where's Harry?" Fred asks.

"Harry?" I ask, nervously.

Please don't have gone through the wrong grate, Harry, please.

"Yeah. He went before us." George says.

Oh no. He must have. He could be anywhere!

"Oh no!" I exclaim. "He must've gone through the wrong grate! I hope he's okay, wherever he is."

Fred and George nod.

Soon Ron comes through. "Ah...where's Harry?" He asks us.

"He went through the wrong grate." I state.

"Uh-oh. That bad. Mum'll be so worried." He says.

We wait while Bonnie comes, followed by Percy, followed by Mr and Mrs Weasley with Ginny.

"Where's Harry?" Mrs Weasley asks worriedly.

"Um, he went through the wrong grate." I explain.

"Oh no. We have to find him." Mrs Weasley says. She splits us up into four parties; me and Bonnie, Fred and George and Mr and Mrs Weasley and Ginny and Percy and Ron.

Bonnie, me, Fred and George go one way, while Mr Weasley, Mrs Weasley, Ron and Percy go the other.

After we go down the road, Bonnie and I split again from Fred and George. Bonnie and I are Joe making ow way near Knockturn Alley, a bad place, as dad told me.

I look around. Oh Merlin, where is he? I look in the distance and I see a girl with bushy brown hair-Hermione!

I rush over, Bonnie following and hug Hermione from behind. She whips around.

"Sarah! Bonnie!" She exclaims.

"Hermione! It's so good to see you!" I exclaim, still hugging her.

"It's good to see you too." She says. "Where's Harry and Ron?"

"Um, Harry's missing and Ron's with Percy looking for him." I say.

"Missing?" Hermione gasps.

"Yeah. We came by floo powder and Harry must've gone through the wrong grate."

"That bad." She says. She pauses. "Hang on, there's Hagrid! Who's that with him?" She says, pointing to the distance.

I look over to where she's pointing to see Hagrid with someone...Harry!

Hermione, Bonnie and I sprint over to them.

"Hagrid!" I exclaim. "Harry! Where were you?"

"Woah Sarah. I came out in Knockturn Alley." Harry says.

"Knockturn Alley? That's a bad place."

"Yup. Lucky I found 'im." Hagrid says. "Found 'im outside Borgin and Burkes."

"Borgin and Burkes?"

"Yup. Wizard trading shop."

Ohh.

"Hermione. It's good to see you." Harry says, noticing Hermione and hugging her.

"Hey Harry. It's good to see you too." She says. "Are you going to Gringotts?" She asks.

"No. We've just got to find the Weasley's." I say.

"Yeh won't have ter wait long." Hagrid says, grinning.

Harry, Hermione, Bonnie and I look around; and I see Ron, Fred, George, Percy and Mr Weasley sprinting up the crowded street.

"Harry." Mr Weasley pants. "We hoped you'd only gone one grate to far. Molly's frantic, she's on her way now."

"When you come out?" Ron asks Harry.

"Knockturn Alley." Hagrid answers grimly.

"Brilliant!" Fred and George say in sync.

"We've never been allowed in." Ron says enviously.

"I should ruddy well hope so." Hagrid says.

Soon I see Mrs Weasley galloping up the street with Ginny tagging behind her.

"Oh Harry-oh, my dear-you could have been anywhere-" she gasps, pulling Harry into a hug and then wiping the spot off him with a brush.

"Well, gotta be off." Hagrid says. "See yer at Hogwarts." He strides off.

The Weasley's, Hermione, Bonnie and I make our way through the crowded street.

"Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?" Harry asks Hermione, Ron, Bonnie and I. We all shake out heads. "Malfoy and his father."

"Malfoy?" I ask.

"Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?" Mr Weasley asks behind us.

"No, he was selling." Harry responds.

"So he's worried." Mr Weasley says. "Oh, I'd love to get Lucius Malfoy for something..."

"You be careful Arthur." Mrs Weasley says sharply as we climb the steps to Gringotts. "That family's trouble, don't got biting off more than you can chew."

"So you think I'm no match for Lucius Malfoy?" Me Weasley protests, but he soon distracted once we get inside and he sees Hermione's parents at the front desk. We follow Mr Weasley, who is practically running, towards Mr and Mrs Granger.

"But you're muggles." Mr Weasley says delightedly. "We must have a drink! What's that you've got there? Oh, you're changing muggle money, look Molly!" He points at the ten pound notes in Mr Granger's hand.

"Mum, Dad," Hermione says. "These are the Weasley-Ron, Fred, George, Percy, Ginny and Molly and Arthur-that's Harry Potter and Sarah Potter and that's Bonnie Lupin." Hermione says, introducing us all.

"Hello Mr and Mrs Granger." I say, holding out my hand for them to shake.

"Meet you back here." Ron says to Hermione as the Weasley's, Harry, Bonnie and I are carted off to the carts to go to our vaults. As there aren't enough seats, Percy, Fred and George stay behind while Ron, Mr Weasley, Mrs Weasley, Ginny, Harry, Bonnie and I go to our vaults.

We go to the Weasley's first. I feel awful when their vault opens. Inside there is only a small pile of sickles and one galleon inside. Mrs Weasley feels right I to the corners before scooping it all into her purse. We then go to Bonnie's vault. It's way fuller than the Weasleys' vault. But then I feel even worse when we reach Harry and I's vault. I try to hide all the gold as Harry and I collect our gold and quickly move off.

Once we get back to the others and go outside, we all separate. Percy went off muttering that he needed a new quill; Mrs Weasley goes off with Ginny to get her robes and wand; Mr Weasley takes Hermione's parents off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink; Harry, Ron, Hermione and Bonnie go off towards the ice cream parlour while I go off with Fred and George once we spot their friend Lee Jordan.

"We'll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your school books." Mrs Weasley says, setting off with Ginny. "And not one step down Knockturn Alley!" She shouts at Fred, George and I as we turn our back and walk towards Lee.

"Lee!" Fred yells out to Lee Jordan who is standing just feet away from us.

"Fred! George!" He yells back. "Hey Sarah."

"Hey." I say

"Well, it's nice to see you all again." He says. "You guys getting your school stuff too?"

"Yep." Fred, George and I say together.

"Cool. I've already gotten my stuff. We're just hanging around because Mum wants to see Gilderoy Lockhart at noon or something."

"He's coming here? Where at?" I ask.

"Flourish and Blotts." Lee answers.

"So that's why Mum wants us to meet her at Flourish and Blotts in an hour." Fred says. "She loves him." He adds.

I giggle.

"Where so you guys want to go-" I begin.

"Gambol and Japes." The boys say in sync.

"Isn't that the joke shop?" I ask.

"Yep." They say as Fred and George grab me by the arms and drag me off.

We walk down the cobbled road to Gambol and Japes. On the way, I noticed Harry, Ron, Hermione and Bonnie walking into a shop where they sold the essentials; quills, ink, parchment...that stuff.

We go inside to Gambol and Japes. It's amazing. I loom around at all the shelves which are stocked up on different pranking tools; dung bombs, stink pellets...heaps of stuff we could use this year. Fred, George, Lee and I make our way to the shelves and start piling up on supplies. We're just stoking up on 'Dr Filbusters, Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks' when Harry, Ron, Hermione and Bonnie come in to look around. They don't buy anything. They're no fun.

After Gambol and Japes, we move into the wizarding junk shop next door. This shop has useless stuff; broken wands, wonky brass scales and old cloaks with potion stains on them...useless. In the corner we find Percy looking through books. They sell books here? At the moment he's reading one about Prefects. Of course he is.

An hour later, after we finish all our shopping, we say goodbye to Lee and make our way over to Flourish and Blotts. As I thought, there would be a line of people there just to see Gilderoy Lockhart. On the windows are large banners:

GILDEROY LOCKHART

will be signing copies if his autobiography

MAGICAL ME

today 12:30-4:30

Great. This'll be fun. Note my sarcasm. I mean, I've read one of his books, Wonderings with Werewolves, and there is no way that he could be trapped in a phone booth with a werewolf and survive. No chance.

Soon Harry, Hermione, Bonnie and Ron come up behind us. Bonnie and Hermioe squeal.

"We can actually meet him!" Hermione says excitedly. "What, he's written almost the whole book list."

"Sarah, Fred, George-there you are." Harry says, changing the subject.

"Hey." I say.

we try to go a inside and finally we manage to get inside. Really, I think he's a fake.

Inside there is a long queue wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart is signing books. We each grab a copy of Break with a Banshee, and sneak up the line to where the rest of the Weasley's are standing behind Mr and Mrs Granger.

"Oh, there you all are, good." Mrs Weasley says. "We'll be able to see him in a minute..."

I roll my eyes.

Soon, Gilderoy Lockhart comes I to view, seated at a table, surrounded by large pictures of himself, all winking and flashing dazzling white teeth at the crowd. The real Gilderoy Lockhart is wearing matching robes of forget-me-not blue and is signing books.

A short man is dancing around the table, taking pictures of Lockhart.

"Out of the way there." He snarls at Ron. "This is for the Daily Prophet."

"Big deal." Ron says.

Gilderoy Lockhart hears him and looks up. He stares at us. He leaps to his feet and shouts. "It can't be Harry and Sarah Potter?"

The crowd parts to reveal us. Lockhart dives foreword, seizes both our arms and pulls us to the front.

Oh no. Really? I don't want to be around this fake.

The crowd bursts into applause as he sakes both our hands for the photographer who is clicking his camera madly.

"Nice big smile you two," Lockhart says. "Together, the three of us are worth the front page."

I try to walk back to the Weasley's, but Lockhart pulls me back.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Lockhart says loudly. "What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment to make a little announcement I've been sitting on for some time. When young Harry and Sarah Potter came in to Flourish and Blotts today, they only wanted to buy my autobiography-"

'Yeah sure, Lockhart.' I think. 'I wouldn't ever buy that.'

"-which I shall be happy to present them both with, free of charge-" the crowd applauded again while the camera man is still clicking away. "-they had no idea," Lockhart continues. "That they would shortly be getting more than my book, Magical Me. They and their school fellows will, in fact, be getting the real, magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that, this September, I will be taking up the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"

The whole crowd claps and cheers again and I find myself being presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. I finally make my way back to the Weasley's. I notice Harry giving his books to Ginny saying he could buy his own.

"Bet you loved that didn't you, Potters." Says a voice I only know too well.

I turn around to be face-to-face with my arch-rival, Draco Malfoy.

"Famous Harry Potter and Sarah Potter can't even go into a book shop without making the front page." He sneers.

"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" Ginny says to Malfoy. It's the first time she's ever spoken in front of Harry. Pity she wasn't defending me, but, I don't need defending, I can defend myself.

"Look, Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" Malfoy drawls. Ginny goes a deep Scarlett to match her fiery red hair as Ron, Hermione and Bonnie come over with their sets of books.

"Shut up, Malfoy." I say defending Harry.

"Oh, it's you." Ron says from behind me. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"

"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop Weasley." Malfoy retorts. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for that lot."

Ron turns as red as Ginny.

"Shut up Malfoy!" I say again.

He just sneers at me as Ron drops his books and starts toward Malfoy but Harry, Bonnie and Hermione hold him back by his jacket.

"Ron!" Mr Weasley says, struggling against the crowd with Fred and George. "What are you doing? It's mad in here, let's go outside."

"Well, well, well-Arthur Weasley."

It's a man with white blonde hair like Malfoy. It must be his father. He stands with his hand on Draco's shoulder, sneering in the same way.

"Lucius." Mr Weasley says coldly.

"Busy time at the ministry, I hear." Mr Malfoy says. "All those raids...I hope they're paying you overtime?"

He reaches into Ginny's cauldron and extracts a very old , battered 'Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration' from amongst all the glossy Lockhart books.

"Obviously not," he says. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they can't even pay you well for it?"

Mr Weasley flushes darker than Ron or Ginny did.

"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy." He says.

"Clearly." Mr Malfoy says, his eyes darting over to Hermione's parents. "The company you keep, Weasley...and I thought your family could sink no lower-"

There is a thud of metal as Ginny's cauldron goes flying, as Mr Weasley flings himself onto Mr Malfoy, knocking him backwards onto a bookshelf. Dozens of heavy books fall onto our heads as there is a yell of "Get him Dad!" From Fred and George and Mrs Weasley yelling "No, Arthur, no!" The crowd stampedes backwards knocking over more shelves over; "gentlemen, please-please!" The store assistant cries and then a louder voice saying, "break it up, there gents, break it up-"

Hagrid comes towards them and pulls them apart. Mr Weasley has a cut lip and Mr Malfoy is forming a black eye. He's still holding Ginny's Transfiguration book. He thrusts it at her angrily.

"Here, girl-take your book-it's the best your father can give you-" He pulls away from Hagrid, backing Draco and they leave the shop.

"Yeh should' e ignored him, Arthur. "Hagrid says. "Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that. No Malfoy's worth listenin' ter. bad blood, that's what it is. Come on now, lets get outta here."

The assistant looks as though he doesn't want is to leave but he lets us probably because he's only at Hagrid's waist and thought better of it. We all hurry up the the street, the Granger's shaking with fright and Mrs Weasley bayside herself with fury.

"A fine example to set to your children...brawling in public...what Gilderoy Lockhart must've thought..."

"He was pleased." Fred says. "Didn't you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the Daily Prophet if he'd be able to work the fight into his report-said it was all publicity."

We soon reach the Leaky Cauldron, where we say goodbye to the Granger's and floo back to the Burrow with our shopping.

What an eventful day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N

Oh my gosh! Sorry I haven't updated in a while! Throw your potatoes at me-I will use them to make potato mash ;)

Anyway...sorry again for not updating. Buuuut, I have news.

I found out just last night that 'Sarah Potter (book 1)' just reached 1000 reads! I am so psyched. 1000 reads was my goal from the beginning and I didn't think that I'd ever be able o reach it but I did.

Thank you.

Hugs, and butterfly kisses,

Elise

Ps: if there are any mistakes, I will edit within some time when I actually am not lazy enough to :)