Harry Potter Dolls

Harry Potter Collectible Doll Set Harry Potter walks the halls of Hogwarts in this set of four 12-inch collectible dolls. This must-have set includes Harry in Casual Dress, Quidditch Robe, Yule Ball Robe and Maze Task outfit. $110.95

Harry Potter Lord Voldemort Doll by the Tonner Doll Company This Harry Potter Lord Voldemort Doll by Tonner is the perfect addition to your Harry Potter collection. This incredibly detailed Lord Voldemort doll features an amazing likeness of actor Ralph Fiennes in all his evil glory and stands nearly 19 inches tall. $159.95

Harry Potter at Hogwarts Doll by the Tonner Doll Company This Harry Potter at Hogwarts doll, the first in the series of dolls by Tonner Doll Company, is something you'll treasure for years to come. Each and every nuance and detail is captured right down to Harry Potter's lightning-shaped scar, inflicted by Lord Voldemort. At 17" tall, the doll features remarkably engineered jointing with 14 points of articulation, offering unlimited posing and play possibilities. Crafted of hard plastic and high-quality vinyl, with hand-painted face detail, this is a doll to be played with and enjoyed. The costuming, taken directly from the film The Goblet of Fire, reflects Tonner's attention to detail and use of high-quality fabrics. From the sweater Harry Potter wears at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to his flowing school robe, the authenticity makes this a true collector's doll in every sense of the word. Limited Edition 5000 pcs. Includes wand and custom stand. $124.95

Harry Potter Luna Lovegood at Hogwarts Tonner Doll A Luna a day keeps the Nargels away! Luna Lovegood arrives at Hogwarts as a Tonner Doll. From Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Features a hand-painted face and rooted, saran hair. 17-inches tall. 14 points of articulation. Sensational detail. Add this odd, but charming, girl to your Harry Potter collection! She's an odd, but charming, girl. One of Ravenclaw's most unusual students joins the ranks of this sensationally detailed Harry Potter doll series. From Tonner Dolls, Luna Lovegood at Hogwarts stands 17-inches tall. She features a face sculpt of an authorized likeness of actress Evanna Lynch from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and 14 points of articulation: neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, bust line, hips, knees, and ankles. She's perfect for doll and Harry Potter collectors alike! Display stand included. With hand-painted face details and rooted, saran hair, Luna Lovegood comes dressed in her school uniform that includes a white cotton shirt, pleated wool skirt, button-down cardigan, blue-and-grey striped tie, grey tights, and faux-leather Mary Janes. Her Ravenclaw robe, wand, and cheery earrings complete the ensemble-- not to mention her special charm necklace that helps to ward off Nargels! $159.99

Harry Potter Cho Chang at Hogwarts Tonner Doll It's Harry's big crush! Highly detailed! Perfect for doll and Harry Potter collectors alike! One of Ravenclaw's finest joins the ranks of this exquisite collection of dolls. Cho Chang at Hogwarts stands 17-inches tall and features a face sculpt of an authorized likeness of actress Katie Leung from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , with 14 points of articulation (neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, bust line, hips, knees, and ankles). She features hand painted face details and rooted saran hair. Cho Chang comes dressed in her school uniform which includes a white cotton shirt, pleated wool skirt, button-down cardigan, blue & grey striped tie, grey tights, and faux leather Mary Janes. Her Ravenclaw robe and wand complete her ensemble! Display stand included. $139.99

Harry Potter at Hogwarts Tonner Doll Be careful, Harry! Hogwarts is a place of great learning, but also of danger and mystery... especially if you have a magical cult of fanatics out for your blood. Harry Potter has to put up with a lot in pursuit of his education, but the stresses and distractions of his life are nowhere to be seen in this wonderfully clad, hand-painted collectible doll. Standing 16-inches tall, this ultra-realistic figure sports a white shirt and tie with a knit sweater and flannel pants, all under a distinctive school robe that features the Hogwarts crest. Harry also comes with glasses, wand, socks, shoes, and a custom stand. Take care that you don't let this very special item slip through your fingers! Limited edition of 5,000 pieces. $139.99

Harry Potter in Maze Task Outfit Doll Harry Potter is off to win the Triwizard Cup in this 12-inch collectible Maze Task Outfit doll. This is a must have doll for all ages of fans! $29.95

Harry Potter Prof. Dumbledore (Richard Harris) Tonner Doll Harry Potter Prof. Dumbledore (Richard Harris) Tonner Doll $249.99

Harry Potter Lucius Malfoy Death Eater Tonner Doll Harry Potter Lucius Malfoy Death Eater Tonner Doll $249.99

Harry Potter Cho Chang at Hogwarts Tonner Doll Harry Potter Cho Chang at Hogwarts Tonner Doll $139.99

Harry Potter Luna Lovegood at Hogwarts Tonner Doll Harry Potter Luna Lovegood at Hogwarts Tonner Doll $159.99

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Ms. Elsewhere Joined: 13 January 2008 Posts: 881 Location: In role play game of course!	Posted: Monday 11 May 2009 05 20 20 pm    Post subject: Re: RPG: The Six Wizards in topic:RPG: The Six Wizards Ouki hesitated. She wanted so much to prove to Inu that she would be right here with him, to the very end of her life. Wasn't it enough that they all gave up everything to be here? She looked around at the others. They were all committed to him, she was sure, but they were also criminally minded, and as such could not be trully trusted. What could she and Inu offer to make them commit by blood oath? What could they say that would make them wish to do the bidding of the group mentality instead of just their own ambitions. Ouki wondered. She thought back to when she had first met Inu, and how she was so young and so impressionable. She closed her eyes. ******************************************************* She was on holidays with her family at a lake, and her parents and sisters didn't notice that she had gotten caught in a current near the river mouth. She was dragged off for miles, Her little body scrapping and breaking along the rocks. She fought for her life, the water was cold and it burned her throat and lungs. She was dying, but the water relentlessly dragged her down stream. Her vision was all water, and then it became darker, like she was sinking into a deeper abis. That's when she felt the pull. She was yanked back into life and thrown onto the grassy bank. She coughed and coughed and threw up, then rolled over weakly and let the hot sun warm her face. She squeezed her eyelids once, twice and then fluttered them open and saw that the sun was no longer shining; someone was blocking it. Weak as she was she tried to back away. "I'm not going to hurt you." the voice was almost kind. "It's not your turn to die. Today." Ouki squinted her eyes, trying to focus. It was a boy, about the same age as her. He was soaking wet, the water dripped off his shoulder length black hair. He knelt down beside her. "What was it like?" he asked, staring into her eyes. Ouki tried to move. Her whole body ached. "I... I can't move." she croaked. Inu kept staring at her. "Tell me, what was it like, to almost die like that?" Inu acted like he hadn't even heard her. Ouki felt her heart crushing. "Please..." she squeaked, tears starting to form in her eyes, burning them. "I can't move, my whole body... I think my legs are broken." Ouki lifted her hands to reach out to the boy, and saw that her hands were cut up and seeping blood. The boy took one of her hands. Ouki froze. He held her hand between his hands. "So fragile." he muttered. He looked her over, assessing the damage. Then he looked at her face again. Ouki rolled her head so she didn't have to look at him. "Look at me." he commanded. Ouki closed her eyes, like a child who believes when she closes her eyes, the monsters can't get her. She was wrong. She felt herself being pulled up to a sitting positon. She cried out in pain. "Open. your. eyes. Ouki." the boy said pointedly. Ouki's eyes shot open. "How do you know my name?" she whispered. "You come here every summer. I know you." Ouki's blood ran cold when he said 'I know you and not, I know who you are. How could this boy know her? "You are not like your sisters. You are strong, independent, smart, and you're bored. You've also got a secret." the boy whispered the last. Ouki paused, her mouth was so parched. The boy held her in his arms. "What secret?" She breathed. She felt so dizzy. She was loosing so much blood. "You like to watch things die." the boy's eyes widened and he smiled. Ouki's eyes widened too. "How..." she tried to say. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she nearly passed out. She felt her cheeks being slapped. She refocused. "come on! Pay attention!" The boy kept patting at her cheeks until she brought up one hand and grabbed his wrist. Pure adrenaline. He laughed. "Now there's a fiesty girl!" he said. She held his wrist firm still. "I've seen you, Ouki. You do it. You go out into the forest, you find creatures and you start it. You feed them poison, you cut them, you break them, and you watch them die. You listen to them scream. I listen to them too." Ouki continued to listen to the boy. "who are you?" she asked. "My name is Chi Inu." he bowed his head politely. then he set about talking once more. "Was it quiet?" "What?" "The water. Nearly dying. Was it quiet?" "It was.... it was sort of peaceful.... it hurt so much, but then, it just started getting dark." Ouki tried to drag the memory out. "All that pain. And you didn't make a sound. You were like a rag doll, being tossed around. You didn't look alive. Imagine! Suffering all that pain. And you never made a sound." Inu stood up and looked around. "Come on." he said, and he scooped her up like she was lighter than air. Ouki fell asleep as Inu carried her up the ridge. She woke up in a hospital bed, both legs in casts and an iv drip in her hand.Unfortunately, even a magical hospital still had to set your bones back in place, even if they did manage to heal faster than muggle medicine knew how. Her mother stirred beside her. "Oh Ouki! My sweet! Oh God! Baby don't move. You've been through so much. Are you alright?" her mother threw herself across Ouki's chest, hugging her. Ouki set her hands on her mothers back, hesitantly. "Where's Chi?" she asked. "Who?" her mother said, pulling away and grabbing some tissue. "The boy who saved me?" "Oh, well they.. well they just brought you back to the campground, and then we rushed you to the hospital and I..." "I want to see him. What did he tell you?" Ouki tried to sit up a bit more, but was still so weak. "I don't know who you mean, sweetie. There was no boy, only a man and a woman in a truck. Maybe this boy was their son. But he didn't come back with you." her mother eyed her with concern. "So... no one said anything?" "Other than that they found you on the side of the river half dead? I think that was enough, don't you??" her mother was becoming hysterical. "It's okay mom. It's ok." Ouki let her head fall back. She pondered what Chi had said, about the silence. Ouki's dreams for every night after that day in the river were of the silent pain she had suffered. At first it sent her screaming into consciousness, and then it changed her. She began to study it, to test it, and to master it. The dreams helped her focus on inflicting that pain on everything else. It wasnt' until she had drowned her older sisters cat that her family really knew what she was. She was home for Christmas when she found the cat had eaten her fighting fish. So... she killed him slowly. Using her magic to fill his nose, his mouth, and ears with water until he convulsed and spasmed and slipped away. Her sister walked in as she was doing it. She never recovered from what she saw. Her mother screamed and screamed and cried and cried. "How could you be such a monster?!!!" she wailed. "I've always been a monster!" Ouki screamed back. That day she left home. That day, she set out to find Chi Inu. She knew he would accept her. She found him, and he encouraged her skill. She started taking human lives. There was no turning back. Not that there was a place where mom and dad's little princess was real - ever.
Ms. Elsewhere Joined: 13 January 2008 Posts: 881 Location: In role play game of course!	Posted: Wednesday 6 May 2009 10 04 47 am    Post subject: Ouki wa Oboreru in topic:Ouki wa Oboreru This is a story about one of the Six Wizards and how she came to be committed to the leader of the gang, Chi Inu. It's a work in progress, but just wanted to share! Enjoy! It is a Harry Potter Fan Fiction because it is based in the time and world of Harry Potter, but it is also an original idea by Salemboy as well. The story of the six wizards has the makings of a seriously wicked Fan fiction! Also.. the title is supposed to say "Ouki drowns".. but I forget how to write my verbs in present tense?... if someone knows how to say that properly, please pm me so I can change it. Thanks! xx She was on holidays with her family at a lake, and her parents and sisters didn't notice that she had gotten caught in a current near the river mouth. She was dragged off for miles, Her little body scrapping and breaking along the rocks. She fought for her life, the water was cold and it burned her throat and lungs. She was dying, but the water relentlessly dragged her down stream. Her vision was all water, and then it became darker, like she was sinking into a deeper abis. That's when she felt the pull. She was yanked back into life and thrown onto the grassy bank. She coughed and coughed and threw up, then rolled over weakly and let the hot sun warm her face. She squeezed her eyelids once, twice and then fluttered them open and saw that the sun was no longer shining; someone was blocking it. Weak as she was she tried to back away. "I'm not going to hurt you." the voice was almost kind. "It's not your turn to die. Today." Ouki squinted her eyes, trying to focus. It was a boy, about the same age as her. He was soaking wet, the water dripped off his shoulder length black hair. He knelt down beside her. "What was it like?" he asked, staring into her eyes. Ouki tried to move. Her whole body ached. "I... I can't move." she croaked. Inu kept staring at her. "Tell me, what was it like, to almost die like that?" Inu acted like he hadn't even heard her. Ouki felt her heart crushing. "Please..." she squeaked, tears starting to form in her eyes, burning them. "I can't move, my whole body... I think my legs are broken." Ouki lifted her hands to reach out to the boy, and saw that her hands were cut up and seeping blood. The boy took one of her hands. Ouki froze. He held her hand between his hands. "So fragile." he muttered. He looked her over, assessing the damage. Then he looked at her face again. Ouki rolled her head so she didn't have to look at him. "Look at me." he commanded. Ouki closed her eyes, like a child who believes when she closes her eyes, the monsters can't get her. She was wrong. She felt herself being pulled up to a sitting positon. She cried out in pain. "Open. your. eyes. Ouki." the boy said pointedly. Ouki's eyes shot open. "How do you know my name?" she whispered. "You come here every summer. I know you." Ouki's blood ran cold when he said 'I know you and not, I know who you are. How could this boy know her. "You are not like your sisters. You are strong, independent, smart, and you're bored. You've also got a secret." the boy whispered the last. Ouki paused, her mouth was so parched. The boy held her in his arms. "What secret?" She breathed. She felt so dizzy. She was loosing so much blood. "You like to watch things die." the boy's eyes widened and he smiled. Ouki's eyes widened too. "How..." she tried to say. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she nearly passed out. She felt her cheeks being slapped. She refocused. "come on! Pay attention!" The boy kept patting at her cheeks until she brought up one hand and grabbed his wrist. Pure adrenaline. He laughed. "Now there's a fiesty girl!" he said. She held his wrist firm still. "I've seen you, Ouki. You do it. You go out into the forest, you find creatures and you start it. You feed them poison, you cut them, you break them, and you watch them die. You listen to them scream. I listen to them too." Ouki continued to listen to the boy. "who are you?" she asked. "My name is Chi Inu." he bowed his head politely. then he set about talking once more. "Was it quiet?" "What?" "The water. Nearly dying. Was it quiet?" "It was.... it was sort of peaceful.... it hurt so much, but then, it just started getting dark." Ouki tried to drag the memory out. "All that pain. And you didn't make a sound. You were like a rag doll, being tossed around. You didn't look alive. Imagine! Suffering all that pain. And you never made a sound." Inu stood up and looked around. "Come on." he said, and he scooped her up like she was lighter than air. Ouki fell asleep as Inu carried her up the ridge. She woke up in a hospital bed, both legs in casts and an iv drip in her hand.Unfortunately, even a magical hospital still had to set your bones back in place, even if they did manage to heal faster than muggle medicine knew how. Her mother stirred beside her. "Oh Ouki! My sweet! Oh God! Baby don't move. You've been through so much. Are you alright?" her mother threw herself across Ouki's chest, hugging her. Ouki set her hands on her mothers back, hesitantly. "Where's Chi?" she asked. "Who?" her mother said, pulling away and grabbing some tissue. "The boy who saved me?" "Oh, well they.. well they just brought you back to the campground, and then we rushed you to the hospital and I..." "I want to see him. What did he tell you?" Ouki tried to sit up a bit more, but was still so weak. "I don't know who you mean, sweetie. There was no boy, only a man and a woman in a truck. Maybe this boy was there son. But he didn't come back with you." her mother eyed her with concern. "So... no one said anything?" "Other than that they found you on the side of the river half dead? I think that was enough, don't you??" her mother was becoming hysterical. "It's okay mom. It's ok." Ouki let her head fall back. She pondered what Chi had said, about the silence. Ouki's dreams for every night after that day in the river were of the silent pain she had suffered. At first it sent her screaming into consciousness, and then it changed her. She began to study it, to test it, and to master it. The dreams helped her focus on inflicting that pain on everything else. It wasnt' until she had drowned her older sisters cat that her family really knew what she was. She was home for Christmas when she found the cat had eaten her fighting fish. So... she killed him slowly. Using her magic to fill his nose, his mouth, and ears with water until he convulsed and spasmed and slipped away. Her sister walked in as she was doing it. She never recovered from what she saw. Her mother screamed and screamed and cried and cried. "How could you be such a monster?!!!" she wailed. "I've always been a monster!" Ouki screamed back. That day she left home. That day, she set out to find Chi Inu. She knew he would accept her. She found him, and he encouraged her skill. She started taking human lives. There was no turning back. Not that there was a place where mom and dad's little princess was real -ever.
Ms. Elsewhere Joined: 13 January 2008 Posts: 881 Location: In role play game of course!	Posted: Wednesday 6 May 2009 09 54 47 am    Post subject: Re: The Six Wizards in topic:The Six Wizards Ahhhhhhhhhh... should be studying but Noooooo.... I just had to write! Sorry for bombing you with all this in pm, Salemboy! I was writing it in pm initially, then decided to rephrase for here, THEN i started writing a really good little blurb about Ouki. Hope u like everyone! I"m gonna put it in fan fic! yay!!! But first, some questions about the current status of the RPG... Salemboy: Any ideas for some tasty japanese food Ouki could find in the kitchen to snack on? I hate to be stereotypical and say 'nori- rolls' or 'teriake chicken' or 'tempura'.. or maybe that would do? Plus.. we need to create a moment where we can be drawn out to what's going on with inu... maybe we could have a police scanner going in the hideout, and hear about a disturbance that sounds Inu style? then the scene could swtich to Inu and Yuta and Neko fighting their way out of the cult situation. (with of course a build up to it first...) Q, would you like Inu to pull you out of there unconscious? Or would you like to fight with Inu on your way out? I reckon there's definately potential for a last minute retribution killing before we blow the place sky high... Also, Salemboy and i were discussing working out what draws each character to Inu, and why they are so devoted to him. I agreed to one suggestion that it might be good for each of us to come up with our own reason. Eg. In the middle of a kill, off the cuff comment by Buta could be "Of course Inu, I owe you my life!" to indicate that Inu had saved Buta's life or pulled him out of a bad situation at least. Ouki's will go back to when she was a child and nearly drowned. And her is my BLURB! hee hee! I had so much fun writing it.. still can't seem to stomach writing about torture.. when that movie hostel came out I was like.. no no no I can't handle it! but when I was younger, I was all for scary, blood and guts sort of movies. I guess when it can be real I get queezy... aw well! Good practice for entering into a genre I'm not familar with. Also, sorry for being so gushy... I've been reading Stephanie Meyer and of course it's all romance so now my writing is gearing that way. On with the killin'! yeeeeeeeee haaaaaaaaa.......... xx She was on holidays with her family at a lake, and her parents and sisters didn't notice that she had gotten caught in a current near the river mouth. She was dragged off for miles, Her little body scrapping and breaking along the rocks. She fought for her life, the water was cold and it burned her throat and lungs. She was dying, but the water relentlessly dragged her down stream. Her vision was all water, and then it became darker, like she was sinking into a deeper abis. That's when she felt the pull. She was yanked back into life and thrown onto the grassy bank. She coughed and coughed and threw up, then rolled over weakly and let the hot sun warm her face. She squeezed her eyelids once, twice and then fluttered them open and saw that the sun was no longer shining; someone was blocking it. Weak as she was she tried to back away. "I'm not going to hurt you." the voice was almost kind. "It's not your turn to die. Today." Ouki squinted her eyes, trying to focus. It was a boy, about the same age as her. He was soaking wet, the water dripped off his shoulder length black hair. He knelt down beside her. "What was it like?" he asked, staring into her eyes. Ouki tried to move. Her whole body ached. "I... I can't move." she croaked. Inu kept staring at her. "Tell me, what was it like, to almost die like that?" Inu acted like he hadn't even heard her. Ouki felt her heart crushing. "Please..." she squeaked, tears starting to form in her eyes, burning them. "I can't move, my whole body... I think my legs are broken." Ouki lifted her hands to reach out to the boy, and saw that her hands were cut up and seeping blood. The boy took one of her hands. Ouki froze. He held her hand between his hands. "So fragile." he muttered. He looked her over, assessing the damage. Then he looked at her face again. Ouki rolled her head so she didn't have to look at him. "Look at me." he commanded. Ouki closed her eyes, like a child who believes when she closes her eyes, the monsters can't get her. She was wrong. She felt herself being pulled up to a sitting positon. She cried out in pain. "Open. your. eyes. Ouki." the boy said pointedly. Ouki's eyes shot open. "How do you know my name?" she whispered. "You come here every summer. I know you." Ouki's blood ran cold when he said 'I know you and not, I know who you are. How could this boy know her. "You are not like your sisters. You are strong, independent, smart, and you're bored. You've also got a secret." the boy whispered the last. Ouki paused, her mouth was so parched. The boy held her in his arms. "What secret?" She breathed. She felt so dizzy. She was loosing so much blood. "You like to watch things die." the boy's eyes widened and he smiled. Ouki's eyes widened too. "How..." she tried to say. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she nearly passed out. She felt her cheeks being slapped. She refocused. "come on! Pay attention!" The boy kept patting at her cheeks until she brought up one hand and grabbed his wrist. Pure adrenaline. He laughed. "Now there's a fiesty girl!" he said. She held his wrist firm still. "I've seen you, Ouki. You do it. You go out into the forest, you find creatures and you start it. You feed them poison, you cut them, you break them, and you watch them die. You listen to them scream. I listen to them too." Ouki continued to listen to the boy. "who are you?" she asked. "My name is Chi Inu." he bowed his head politely. then he set about talking once more. "Was it quiet?" "What?" "The water. Nearly dying. Was it quiet?" "It was.... it was sort of peaceful.... it hurt so much, but then, it just started getting dark." Ouki tried to drag the memory out. "All that pain. And you didn't make a sound. You were like a rag doll, being tossed around. You didn't look alive. Imagine! Suffering all that pain. And you never made a sound." Inu stood up and looked around. "Come on." he said, and he scooped her up like she was lighter than air. Ouki fell asleep as Inu carried her up the ridge. She woke up in a hospital bed, both legs in casts and an iv drip in her hand.Unfortunately, even a magical hospital still had to set your bones back in place, even if they did manage to heal faster than muggle medicine knew how. Her mother stirred beside her. "Oh Ouki! My sweet! Oh God! Baby don't move. You've been through so much. Are you alright?" her mother threw herself across Ouki's chest, hugging her. Ouki set her hands on her mothers back, hesitantly. "Where's Chi?" she asked. "Who?" her mother said, pulling away and grabbing some tissue. "The boy who saved me?" "Oh, well they.. well they just brought you back to the campground, and then we rushed you to the hospital and I..." "I want to see him. What did he tell you?" Ouki tried to sit up a bit more, but was still so weak. "I don't know who you mean, sweetie. There was no boy, only a man and a woman in a truck. Maybe this boy was there son. But he didn't come back with you." her mother eyed her with concern. "So... no one said anything?" "Other than that they found you on the side of the river half dead? I think that was enough, don't you??" her mother was becoming hysterical. "It's okay mom. It's ok." Ouki let her head fall back. She pondered what Chi had said, about the silence. Ouki's dreams for every night after that day in the river were of the silent pain she had suffered. At first it sent her screaming into consciousness, and then it changed her. She began to study it, to test it, and to master it. The dreams helped her focus on inflicting that pain on everything else. It wasnt' until she had drowned her older sisters cat that her family really knew what she was. She was home for Christmas when she found the cat had eaten her fighting fish. So... she killed him slowly. Using her magic to fill his nose, his mouth, and ears with water until he convulsed and spasmed and slipped away. Her sister walked in as she was doing it. She never recovered from what she saw. Her mother screamed and screamed and cried and cried. "How could you be such a monster?!!!" she wailed. "I've always been a monster!" Ouki screamed back. That day she left home. That day, she set out to find Chi Inu. She knew he would accept her. She found him, and he encouraged her skill. She started taking human lives. There was no turning back. Not that there was a place where mom and dad's little princess was real -ever.
DucksRMagical Joined: 28 December 2006 Posts: 2535 Location: Going through LeakyCon withdrawal	Posted: Tuesday 21 April 2009 11 01 28 am    Post subject: Re: Life Is Good in topic:Life Is Good Sorry I haven't updated this in a while. Life has been busy. (Pretend the lyrics and the Hogwarts letter are in italics. I'll fix it once the bbcode is reinstated). Chapter 4: It's Only Getting Better [i]Days are different then they were before And we both exchange It's only getting better ~Only Getting Better[/i], Jared Campbell Eleven-year-old John Malcolm Brickston was running around in a large circle as fast as he possibly could. He, along with two other boys, was spinning the merry-go-round in the park across the street from his house as fast as he could. A fourth boy was on the merry-go-round shrieking in delight. It was a daily thing for John, playing with the other boys in his neighborhood at the park. They particularly liked spinning each other until they felt sick on the merry-go-round. Other activities included trying to push each other off the monkey bars and jumping off of the swings. They often spent all day doing this, until one of their mothers called them inside. John had fun playing with the other boys from his neighborhood even though he was quite different from them. John was a wizard and all of his neighborhood friends were Muggles. John's family was the only wizarding family living in a neighborhood of Muggles. He didn't mind, of course. He was actually glad he lived in a neighborhood full of people to play with, rather than in the middle of nowhere like so many other wizards did. Most of his cousins didn't have any close neighbors. Without the neighborhood boys around, the only people John would have had to play with were his sisters. John had three of them and while he loved them, they got on his nerves. They were all younger than him and drove him mental on a daily basis. Despite having so many Muggle friends, John could not wait to get to Hogwarts where he could meet other wizards his age. He knew a couple witches and wizards his age whose parents worked with his dad, but he didn't see them too often. Then there were his cousins, but they were all younger than him. John had been trying not to think about his Hogwarts letter, which he knew would be arriving soon. Thinking about it just made the time go by slower. So, he tried to get his mind off of it by goofing off at the playground. "Enough, enough!" the boy on the merry-go-round shouted. John and the other two boys stepped back and watched it slow down. Once it had almost stopped, the boy jumped off and stumbled around, falling on the ground. John and the others crowded around him. "My turn!" John shouted as the dizzy boy sat up. "Johnny!" someone shouted from the entrance to the park. John turned his head towards the voice and groaned. It was his mother. The previous day she had made him watch over his little sisters when they played at the park and he really didn't want to do that again. But his sisters weren't with his mum, so maybe she wanted something else. "What?" John shouted. "You need to come home now!" she shouted back. John groaned again and reluctantly said goodbye to his friends. He hated it when his mum called him home without explaining why. "Why do I have to go home now?" John asked as he reached his mum, "It's not dinner time." "Your letter arrived," she said and began to walk across the street. That was probably the only thing she could have said to make John no longer mind leaving his friends. He grinned and ran to catch up with his mum. Now it was official, he was going to Hogwarts! John's house was in its usual state of chaos when he entered it. Not two seconds after they stepped in the door, his second youngest sister, Alyssa, ran up them screaming about how Cassie had taken her toy. Alyssa was six and Cassie, one of their many cousins, was five. At any given moment there were probably five or six little kids at John's house. He had a lot of cousins who were all younger than him. His mother was a stay at home mum, but a few of his aunts worked outside the home. They often dropped their kids off at John's house while they were at work. Or when they had to go shopping. It was just another reason why John enjoyed spending his free time outside, away from the little kids. That day, all his little sisters were home, of course. Plus, Cassie and her older sister, Isabelle, who was ten, were there. "Your Aunt Pam is grocery shopping," his mother, Jan, replied as she picked up Alyssa. John nodded and stepped over a pile of Wendy Witch dolls that Ashtyn, his nine-year-old sister must have left in the doorway. "Ashtyn, pick up your toys!" Jan shouted as she carried Alyssa back into the den. Ashtyn and Isabelle came running through the house, scooped up the dolls, and ran back to wherever they came from. "Where's my letter?" John asked as Jan set Alyssa back down on the floor. "It's here somewhere," Jan said as she rifled through a stack of mail, "Merlin! I just had it a second ago. Hang on." John sighed as he leaned against the wall. He couldn't wait to get to Hogwarts. Then he wouldn't have to deal with all his little sisters and cousins anymore. He would be in a place where he was one of the youngest people. That rarely happened. John had always been the oldest, the one who was expected to be mature. "Mum!" Ashtyn shrieked from upstairs, "I think John put a dung bomb in the toilet again!" John grinned. He may be expected to be mature, but he wasn't. Pulling pranks was one of his favorite things to do and the dung bomb in the toilet never got old, especially when Ashtyn was on the receiving end of it. Jan sent him a withering look. "I cringe to think about the amount of owls I'll be getting from Professor Kendrick about the mischief you get into next year," she sighed, "Ashtyn, just flush it like usual!" "Mum, she won't give it back!" Alyssa whined. Jan groaned and walked over to the two girls, who were still fighting over a stuffed dragon. Jan wrenched it from Cassie's hands and stuck it up on a high shelf. She continued searching for John's letter while Alyssa and Cassie complained. "I think I found it," John said as he bent down. Three-year-old Gemma was holding a torn envelope in her hands and giggling playfully. John grabbed it from her and she burst out crying. Jan picked her up as John took off for his bedroom, the only toddler free place in the entire house. The letter wasn't completely destroyed, much to John's relief. He had caught Gemma before she was able to do a lot of damage. The envelope was completely illegible, but the letter inside was spared from tears and baby slobber. John tossed aside the damp envelope and unfolded the letter. He grinned widely as he read it, even though he already knew the gist of what it said. [i]Dear Mr. Brickston, We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Enclosed is a list of books and materials you will need to purchase. Please note that first years are not allowed to bring their own broomsticks. Please reply to this letter as soon as possible to let us know if you are attending. The Hogwarts Express will leave at exactly 11 in the morning on September first from King's Cross Station, Platform 9 3/4. Sincerely, Padma Patil Deputy Headmistress[/i] He was in! John laid down on his bed and stared up at his ceiling. Of course he was in. There was never any doubt. Everyone in his entire family had gone to Hogwarts for as far back as anyone could remember. As far as he knew, his family didn't have any Squibs. John had been looking forward to Hogwarts for a very long time. His parents had all sorts of stories to tell of the place. Although, their education had been interrupted due to the final battle and Voldemort's defeat. They had only been first years at the time and Hogwarts had closed for a year in order for it to be rebuilt. But after that, his parents had had a somewhat normal education. There were all sorts of things that John was looking forward to. The Sorting (although his parents refused to tell him how it was done), the feasts, exploding potions, Peeves, Quidditch, Hogsmeade trips when he got older, the Gryffindor common room. John was sure he'd get into Gryffindor even though his mum had been a Hufflepuff. His dad was a Gryffindor and everyone said he took after his dad. John's dad, Jeff Brickston, had been the Hogwarts prankster when he was in school. John couldn't wait to pull some pranks of his own. His dad had promised to get him well supplied with stuff from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, although his mum wasn't too happy about it. John remained in his room for the rest of the afternoon. A glance out the window told him that his Muggle friends had left the park. It would have been boring for him to go back. Instead, he stayed in his room and pulled out his old but trusty Nimbus Two Thousand and One. The broom had been his dad's when he was at Hogwarts. John grabbed a bottle of polish and began to rub it into the worn wood. Jeff had given it to John when he was only five and John had been flying on it ever since. If John had to pick the one thing he was most looking forward to at Hogwarts, it would be Quidditch. John had been flying for as long as he could remember and he had hopes of making it onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team. If he was sorted into Gryffindor, that is. He just hoped that there was a beater position open at the right time. He doubted he'd get chosen as a beater in his second year due to the fact that beaters were generally quite a lot bigger than the rest of the players. But if a beater position opened when he was in fourth or fifth year, he just might make it. Isabelle and Cassie had left by the time John left his room. He wandered into the kitchen and found his mum preparing dinner. Ashtyn and Alyssa were 'helping'. "Can we go to Diagon Alley tomorrow?" John asked as he grabbed a carrot out of a bowl. "I don't know," Jan replied, "Your Aunt Jodie is working tomorrow and I have to watch Stephanie as well as the twins. I don't particularly want to drag three extra kids to Diagon Alley especially when two are babies. It may have to wait until the weekend. And please don't eat the carrots." John sighed and sat down at the table. He didn't want to wait until the weekend. He wished his mum didn't watch all of his little cousins all the time. "I'm home!" someone shouted from the den. John jumped up from his chair and ran into the den. He saw his dad brushing ash off of his bright green healer robes. John grinned as he saw his great-great grandpa standing just behind his dad. "Gramps!" John shouted, "What are you doing here?" "Went to Mungo's," he replied, "Had to get this dang hip checked out. Then Jeffrey here invited me to dinner." John's great-great grandpa, Zander Brickston, was over one hundred years old but was usually healthy as a hippogriff. He was a bit senile and forgetful at times, but it never bothered him. He was often the life of the party, too, despite his age. John loved him. "I got my Hogwarts letter!" John said excitedly as he pulled the letter out of his pocket. "Congratulations," Jeff grinned and gave John a one-armed hug as he set his bag down. "Well done, Johnny-Boy!" Zander gave him a surprisingly strong clap on the back, "Great place, Hogwarts. Best years of my life, except for the times I found myself in Professor Dippet's office. You'd best stay out of there." "Professor Dippet's been dead for years, Gramps," John laughed. "Then you stay out of trouble with whoever's the headmaster now," Zander said and lumbered off into the kitchen, "Where's my girls?" Dinner was lively that evening, as it always was when Zander was there. He dominated the conversation with stories of his own years at Hogwarts. John was sort of surprised he remembered them so well. He told of the time he and his friends went for a swim in the Black Lake at midnight during the full moon in January. The nurse had not been pleased when they showed up at the hospital wing with slight cases of hypothermia. She scolded them and told them if they were stupid enough to swim in the lake during January, they could at least use cold-repellent charms on themselves. "Where would the fun be in that?" Zander laughed as he finished the story. Other stories included the many pranks he pulled on the Slytherins. 'Pranking's a Brickston tradition,' he told John solemnly. The times he snuck out of the castle and into Hogsmeade. The time he fell asleep during his History of Magic O.W.L. ("What do they expect, when Binns makes you fall asleep during class?") Sneaking about the castle at night with whatever girlfriend he had at the time. Jan had to shut him up at that point and she and Jeff began to relay their own Hogwarts stories. John was, if it was possible, even more excited about Hogwarts after hearing all of the stories. He wanted to swim in the Black Lake in the middle of winter. He wanted to sneak out of school to go to Hogsmeade. He wanted to paint half his face red and the other half gold for the Gryffindor-Slytherin Quidditch match. John didn't know how he was going to be able to wait two days until Saturday to go to Diagon Alley, let alone wait the month and a half until he'd be able to actually go to Hogwarts. It seemed so far away. He had been waiting years to go to Hogwarts, but he had a feeling the last month and a half would drag by even slower than those years had.
DucksRMagical Joined: 28 December 2006 Posts: 2535 Location: Going through LeakyCon withdrawal	Posted: Sunday 15 March 2009 02 14 51 pm    Post subject: Re: In Moonlight's Shadow in topic:In Moonlight's Shadow Thanks Obladi and hprocks! Chapter 38: Memories The next week passed quickly. Too quickly in my opinion. My remaining time in Australia was flying by and I didn't like it one bit. I spent most of my time brewing potions and wandering around the bush. Norlam came to the house for Matt's therapy session on Monday and it passed in the same fashion the previous two had. The only difference was this time Matt spent the whole time watching us, instead of spending the first half hour with his head buried in Mum's shoulder. Norlam said that was a great improvement. Friday's session proved to be pointless, though. Matt seemed to have regressed and clung to Mum the whole hour. Norlam wasn't surprised since it was two days before the full moon. He actually spent the hour talking to Dad about the full moon. Sterling had sent along a packet of instructions for Dad about what to do right before and right after this particular full moon. Sterling was quite worried about it, despite the fact that Matt's ankle was mostly healed. He had stopped using the crutches on Thursday. I jokingly suggested that we give them to Mari and Maddie and earned a groan from Mum because of it. Since Mum was on speaking terms with Cinda again, she Apparated with me to her house on Saturday. The full moon was Sunday. Mum seemed very anxious, as did Dad. Hell, I was anxious as well. Dad's plan to keep Lubar out of the house wasn't foolproof. In fact, it was far from it. But it was the best they could do. And it was the last Australian full moon. After this, we wouldn't have to worry about Lubar again. I called Kenzie as soon as Mum left after dropping me off. To Kenzie, this was my last visit to my grandparents' house. At least until we visited, that is. My parents had explained that I would be spending the July full moon at Richard and Cinda's, much to my dislike. I had thought that maybe they would just let me stay home after we moved, but no. The July one was so close to the estate sale that I was just going to go to Australia with Dad for that and he'd pick me up after the full moon. I had no idea what I was doing for the August one. However, my parents had told me that I wasn't allowed to tell Kenzie that I would be there. It would look extremely suspicious to her and her family. They would think that I'd fly to Australia while Matt was getting treatment for whatever Muggle disease they thought he had. I hated to have to pretend not to be there, but it was necessary. Kenzie came over to Richard and Cinda's five minutes after I called her. She was going to sleep over at my grandparents' house for the last time. Mum and Dad didn't want her staying there the actual night of the full moon just in case something happened at home and I had to leave immediately. I actually didn't mind that since I didn't think I'd be able to hide my fear from her anyway. We ate dinner with Richard and Cinda and then went up to my room. "I still can't believe this is our last sleepover," Kenzie sighed as she flopped down onto my bed. "Me either," I laid down next to her. "Are you scared?" she asked quietly. "About moving? Yeah, a little," I replied. More than a little, I thought. "I wish I could tell you you'll be fine. But I've never moved, so I have no idea." "It's just that we're moving so far away," I said, "Everything is going to be different." "Well, look on the bright side. At least you're moving somewhere where they speak English," Kenzie shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose you're right," I laughed. "Is your new school like your old one?" Kenzie asked. "Pretty much," I shrugged. Except it's in a castle. But I didn't mention that since Muggle schools weren't normally in castles. "And does your dad have the same top-secret job in England now?" "Equivalent department, different job," I replied. "So, it's like your whole life is just being transferred to a different country." "Pretty much. But our new house is totally different." "I think you'll survive in a smaller house," Kenzie laughed. "I know," I shrugged, "But I like my house." "Yeah. I know I'd hate to leave mine. Although I definitely wouldn't mind having my own room." The rest of my time with Kenzie passed way too quickly. We spent most of it talking and just hanging out. Richard and Cinda seemed to sense that we wanted to be alone and didn't bother us the whole time. "I'm going to miss you so much," Kenzie sniffled as she grasped me in a tight hug. It was late Sunday afternoon and the full moon was going rise soon. "Me, too," I cried, "I don't want to go!" "I don't want you to!" Kenzie replied, "But you'll be back to visit." "I know," I stammered, "But I don't know when that will be!" "Can't you come stay at my house tonight? Please?" I shook my head. "Richard and Cinda want to spend time with me." "Ok, well, I guess I'll call you soon," Kenzie said, "Your mum gave my mum her mobile number." I nodded, "Yeah, call me. I'll write you as soon as we move, too. I'll let you know everything." "And I'll tell you everything that's going on here," Kenzie said. We hugged for a few more minutes and silently cried into each other's hair. I reluctantly let go and we looked at each other for a few moments. "I guess this is goodbye for real now," Kenzie said as she grabbed her bag. "I guess," I said with tears running down my cheeks, "Bye, Kenzie. But we will see each other again." "Of course," Kenzie agreed, "But until then, good luck with everything." I nodded, "Thanks." "Bye, Amy," Kenzie said softly as she opened the door. She turned around as she walked outside and I waved. I stood in the doorway and watched her go until long after she disappeared behind the trees. I let the tears roll down my face and blur my vision. This was it. Kenzie and I wouldn't see each other for months. She was one of my best friends and now she was gone. I was leaving and she was staying. I was being forced to leave my two best friends in the whole world. Olivia and I were already drifting apart and now I wouldn't see Kenzie for months. Well, at least I'd see Kenzie again. I didn't think I'd ever see Olivia again. I let a sob escape at the thought of never seeing Olivia again. With the release of that first sob, the rest of them came hard and fast. My whole body shook as I cried almost as hard as I had when Matt was in the hospital. I couldn't see anything as the tears flooded my eyes. I was hardly aware of the fact that Cinda put her arm around me and led me back into the house and onto a couch in the living room. I laid down on it and let myself cry for ages. Both of my friends were gone. I didn't know when or if I'd see them again. ****** I wasn't sure how long I laid on the couch crying, but eventually, my eyes ran dry and I slowly sat up. Cinda was sitting in one of the armchairs and was looking at me. I rubbed my eyes and took a deep breath. "Are you ok, Amy?" Cinda asked quietly. I nodded. "I guess." "I know this is hard," Cinda said, "It's hard to move away from your friends. My best friend, Helen, moved away when I was around your age. But we stayed in touch. We still call each other on occasion and even meet for coffee." "But I'm moving to another country," I muttered, "It was hard enough to keep all the lies straight with Kenzie living here, but it'll be even harder now. Lies and living across the world. I'm just sick of it." Cinda nodded. "Well, I won't pretend that I know what it's like to keep so many secrets from your friends. Helen and I told each other everything." "I can't tell anyone everything," I replied. "I know and it is hard on you. But you're strong. You're such a good big sister, you know that, right?" I nodded. "Yeah, but I just hate the whole thing sometimes." "We all do, Amy, we all do," Cinda said. I glanced out the window. It was getting increasingly darker. The moon would rise soon. "I'm going upstairs," I muttered. Cinda nodded. "It's going to be ok, Amy." I bit my lip and didn't say anything as I left. I wished I could just believe Cinda. But I couldn't. Everything was so up in the air. There was no way to know things would be ok. I went upstairs and crawled into my bed. I hadn't even eaten dinner, but I wasn't hungry. I laid completely still under the covers, staring out the window. I didn't do anything. I just laid there. Thinking about nothing and everything at the same time. Thinking about school, moving, Kenzie, Olivia, Matt, my grandparents, my parents, and everything in between. Yet, my mind was empty at the same time. It was strange, but it was the best way to describe it. Everything and nothing at the same time. I tossed and turned much of the night, but must have fallen asleep at some point because the next thing I knew I was opening my eyes to the bright sun that was shining through the window. I groggily sat up and yawned. Then it hit me. Night had passed. The moon had set once again. The sun was up. The last full moon in Australia was over! I jumped out of bed and quickly changed clothes. I ran downstairs as my heart thudded in my chest. I had no idea when Mum or Dad would tell me what happened. I assumed nothing too horrible had happened since neither of them showed up the night before, but I still wanted to know. I poured myself a bowl of cereal, but wound up just pacing the kitchen while the Lucky Charms grew mushy in my bowl. Cinda and Richard stumbled downstairs a little while later. Cinda sat down at the table while Richard poured them both mugs of coffee. I couldn't tell if they had been up all night or if they just needed their coffee. "Amy, don't you want your cereal?" Cinda asked. "No, not really," I replied as I continued pacing across the floor. "I think things went ok last night," Cinda said quietly, "They would have contacted us sooner if they hadn't." "I know," I said, "But I still need to know." "Amy," Richard said as he set down the coffee mugs, "Stop pacing. Sit down and eat something." I nodded and sat down. I picked up the spoon from my cereal and started stirring my cereal, but not eating it. Richard took it away and gave me a withered look. I didn't say a word as Richard began to cook eggs. Richard was cooking eggs. I couldn't remember the last time Richard cooked brekkie. I ate the eggs even though I wasn't exactly hungry. It had been a nice gesture on Richard's part. My mind wasn't on the food, though, it was on my brother. I was just getting up from the table when I heard a loud crack coming from the living room. I immediately ran out of the kitchen and into the living room. Mum was standing there looking exhausted, but not sad, which I took as a good sign. "Mum!" I exclaimed, "What happened?" "He's fine, Amy," Mum replied. "Is everything ok, Julie?" Richard asked. I turned around and saw him and Cinda standing in the doorway. "Everything is fine," Mum said, "Lubar did show up last night. But he had to Apparate into the bush and then come to our door the hard way. To say he wasn't happy about our wards and disconnection from the Floo Network would be an understatement, but there's nothing he could do about it. By the time he got to the house, the moon was about to rise. Matt was already in the basement. Walter was able to hold him off just by arguing with him. He was quite angry when he realized that the moon had risen before he got Matt, though. Walter told him to get out and slammed the door in his face. And that, hopefully, was the last time we saw Ralph Lubar." I breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good," I smiled. "Glad to hear it," Richard said. "What about Matt?" Cinda asked, "Is he ok?" Mum gave Cinda a weird look, but then shook her head and it was gone. I guess Mum wasn't used to Cinda asking about Matt, since they had that huge row. "As good as can be expected," Mum replied, "He had been unconscious for about an hour, but that's normal. He's got the usual injuries, and he re-injured his ankle. Depending on how fast it heals, he might have to go see Healer Sterling again. But after last month, this one has been a relief." Cinda winced at the sound of Matt's injury. "Well, I can't say I've heard anyone say a re-injured ankle is a relief, but I'm glad it wasn't anything worse." I was, too. I hadn't even realized how worried I had been until I found out that Matt was ok. Sure, I had been pacing around the kitchen, but I hadn't thought I'd been that worried. "When can I come home?" I asked quietly. Mum sighed. "I guess you can come home now. But you'll have to stay out of Matt's room. He needs to rest." I nodded and smiled as I went to get my stuff. I couldn't believe how much less strict Mum had become in the past few months. Six months ago, she never would have let me go home the morning after the full moon. ****** The next week flew by even faster than the previous one had. Mum and Dad were preoccupied with moving logistics and spent most of their time talking about packing and decorating and other sorts of stuff. With the last full moon in Australia behind them, they were both becoming increasingly excited about the move. I think Dad was excited about working again as well. He routinely talked about his new job and I got the feeling he was very enthusiastic about it. Matt seemed indifferent about moving. He spent the week resting and lounging around the house while his ankle healed. Dad brought out the crutches again and Matt hobbled around the house on them. Mum said he needed to go to St. Mungo's, but Dad wanted to just wait until after we moved and see if it healed on its own with the usual potions. Mum reluctantly agreed. He had two more therapy sessions and Norlam was very pleased with the progress he'd made. During the most recent one, he had migrated from the couch onto the floor and watched Norlam and I play Gobstones. He didn't say anything or play with us, but it was progress nonetheless. "Amy, did you clean up your room yet?" Mum shouted from the kitchen. "It's almost done!" I groaned and got up from the couch. "You need to finish it soon! The Magical Movers are coming early tomorrow morning and your room needs to be ready to be packed!" "I know!" Mum had been nagging me about cleaning my room all day. She and Dad were frantically running around the house making sure everything was ready. Matt and I had mostly been watching them. Mum of course got his room ready for him, but I had to do mine myself. Plus my Potions room, which I had done that morning. I didn't want to get my room ready. I didn't want to see it bare and empty. Once it was empty, it wouldn't be mine anymore. It would be Clarence's, and who knows what he'd do with it. I still hated the thought of someone else moving into the house. Although, part of me thought Clarence was just going to own it in name only and let it sit empty just to spite Dad and Uncle Jack. No amount of thinking about it could have possibly prepared me for packing up my room. I slowly ascended the stairs and stood in the doorway for a moment before sitting down and starting to clean. There was no feeling in the world quite like packing up your whole life and moving it to another country. I had only moved once in my life and I had been so young that I didn't remember it. This house was basically the one I had spent my life in. Even before we actually moved in, when Granny and Gramps were still alive, we spent every holiday in this house. Granny, Gramps, Mum, Dad, me, and occasionally Clarence and Gregory. We visited other times of the year, too. My memories of this house were some of the first ones I'd had. Christmas morning when I was three. Ripping open the biggest box under the tree to find my very first toy broom. I flew it around the house the entire day, until I crashed into the refrigerator and Mum declared it an outside toy. My fourth birthday. One of the only memories I had of Granny and Gramps. My last memory of them. All our family at the house eating a huge chocolate cake. My Little Hippogriffs, a toy owl, a stuffed animal dragon that breathed fake fire, and a copy of [i]The Tales of Beedle the Bard[/i] for presents. But what I remember most is walking through the bush and seeing a family of kangaroos. That had been my first walk through that bush, and I fell in love. Moving in. It had been a few months after Granny and Gramps had died. Dad couldn't bring himself to move in before that. I don't remember much about the accident, but I do remember being excited about moving. Mum carried me up the stairs and showed me my new room. I was thrilled and made a beeline for the balcony. It had been locked and it remained that way for years. I was five and I first discovered the joys of climbing the wall into the bush. Mum completely freaked out and told me never to do it again. I was out there the next day when Mum was cleaning. I promptly fell off, skinned my knee, and ran crying inside to Mum. I tried again the next day and succeeded. A few months later Mum was shrieking with joy and holding a white stick in her hand. I kept asking her what it was, but she wouldn't tell me. A few hours after Dad came home, they sat me down and told me I was going to have a new brother or sister. I was filled with mixed feelings about it, but what I remember most is wanting a sister. Six years old and peering down at Matt, who was sleeping in his crib. I remember thinking how tiny he was. Mum and Dad asked me if I wanted to hold him and I said yes. I sat down in the rocking chair and Mum placed him in my lap. I looked down at his tiny red face and wondered how on earth a baby could have been growing in Mum. Sitting in the kitchen staring at the owl that was coming closer and closer to the house. I had been eleven and spent days waiting for my Australian School of Sorcery letter to arrive. I let the owl in and couldn't get the letter open fast enough. My hands shook as I opened it and shrieked with joy when I read it. I ran all around the entire house waving it above my head. Four-year-old Matt stared at me with a mixed look of confusion and awe on his face. He immediately asked me how long it would be until he got his letter. Almost exactly a year later, laying on my bed thinking about how everything changed in a matter of minutes. It had been a few days after Matt got bitten and Dad and I came home from the hospital to get some sleep. Mum stayed with Matt. I was scared. Scared and upset. I didn't know what it meant. I didn't know what would happen to Matt. To me. To my whole family. Christmas, just six short months ago. Finally getting the twelve foot tree I had always wanted. With no way to know that it would be the one and only time we'd have a tree that tall in the house. With no way of knowing that it was our last Christmas in the house. My house. My home. Memories. I knew deep down that I'd always have the memories of my house, even if we didn't own it anymore. I knew it was the people I shared those memories with were what really mattered. But I couldn't help but feel like I was being forced to leave my childhood behind. No matter how much I reassured myself things would be ok, I knew I'd be leaving a part of myself in Australia with the house. I shook myself out of my reminiscing and stared at my room. I had no idea where to begin. Cleaning up my Potions room had been easy. Everything had a place in there. All I had to do was put everything in its place and I was done. My bedroom was different. It had never really been organized. I sighed and began by picking up all the dirty clothes and throwing them in the hamper. It was a start. But it was only a start. My room was still a mess when I finished that. I kept going and finished picking up everything else that was on the floor. I worked methodically, trying not to think about what the cleaning really meant. I knew if I sank back into reminiscing, I'd never get anything accomplished. Then came my closet. I didn't think I had ever cleaned my closet. It was packed with the detritus of my childhood. I sat down in front of it and began to pull things out. Text books from previous years, broken displays of the solar system from Astronomy, broken quills, random bits of parchment. It was like cleaning out a big school trunk. I tossed most of it into the bin. I made a pile of stuff I wanted to keep and threw the books onto it. It was like an archaeological dig. There were layers of my life piled into that closet. As I worked through the stuff, I worked farther back into the years. I found my first set of school robes, which were much too short. I couldn't bear to throw them away, though. They would remind me of Australia. A box of letters from Olivia joined them in the 'keeping' pile. Next was the stuff from before I ever went to school. Well, magical school, that is. I found my My Little Hippogriffs. I threw away the broken ones and kept the ones that were still intact. Wendy Witch dolls, toy dragons, hippogriffs, unicorns, and just about every other magical creature in the world. Dad began teaching me about magical creatures before I could talk. My toy broomstick, which had seen better days. I put it in the 'keeping' pile. Old clothes that I hadn't seen in years went into the giveaway pile. Childhood books went into the 'keeping' pile. Eventually the entire contents of my closet had been organized into three piles. The 'keeping' pile was considerably larger than the others. That didn't matter. Mum had said I could keep whatever I wanted. I grabbed a few of the boxes Mum had given me and piled everything I wanted to keep into it. The trash pile went in the bin and the giveaway stuff went in another box. I tackled my dresser and desk next. Most of that stuff I packed into boxes to be moved to England. There wasn't much I wanted to get rid of. I left my bedding on the bed since we still had one more night. By the time I finished, my room looked depressingly empty. It didn't even really look like my room anymore. It was an empty shell, a place where I had lived almost my entire life and was now just a room. I didn't like it. Not one bit. I sank down onto my bed and stared at the boxes. The boxes that contained my life.