Millay’s voice was shaky and hesitant, afraid of what she’d heard. “You mean I am responsible for my own father’s death?” Tears began filling the corner of her eyes. “But how did we survive?” Millay’s broke off.

Lucinda took in a sharp breath and slowly exhaled. “You did not harm your father in any way Millay, please do not think like that. Please allow me to explain how we escaped.” So Millay bit her tongue and allowed her mother to do just that. “Your father sacrificed himself as a distraction for me to escape using the Floo Network to the Leaky Cauldron, a tavern that is the gateway to Diagon Alley. You two were at muggle school in which I am entirely grateful for because Deatheaters surrounded the house and searched for you two girls.”

Millay and Destiny by now, had accepted what the letter had read and asked Lucinda what was now to happen. Lucinda explained how she had attended Hogwarts once before, and she and Millay’s father wished the girls to do the same. Apparently, Lucinda and Logan met at Hogwarts in their second year, and by their fourth year they had fallen madly in love with one another and could not fathom being without each other. Millay and Destiny just sat in complete awe as her dearest mother explained her brother’s situation as Millay still waited for her personal questions to be answered.

Lucinda began to speak softly, “Darlings, your older brother Corben has already been sent to Hogwarts and is now on his fifth year. He has been living with the Weasley's, a lively bunch they are. Their parent’s are friends of your father and I. You will also be sent to live with them in two weeks time, so I suggest you pack my dears.” A faint smile was painted on Lucinda’s thin chapped lips.

“Mother, may I ask why I did not start out as a first year, but as a third year?” Millay questioned softly, her voice breaking off in the end clearly stating she was partially let down because of not attending her first two years of Hogwarts.

“Millay, you are different. Please do not think that Albus Dumbledore does not see you fit for Hogwarts, but it is that you pose a threat to yourself and others my little one.” A sad smile teased Lucinda’s lips as she stroked her darling daughter’s cheek gently. “You are an exotic wizard, but please do not speak of this to anyone besides your sister of course. You my darling daughter, harbor enough magical energy to wipe out the entire human race and any living thing that ties into it. This strange ability that rest within you that lingers on the line of life and death. I am sad to say that you are almost either a weapon for our enemies to use or a blessing of an angel to us all.” With those gentle heart-breaking words, Lucinda planted a meaningful kiss on her daughter’s pasty forehead and silently wipes at the tears threatening to fall from her own incredibly softened eyes.

“I love you, mum.” Millay now clung to Lucinda in desperation after learning the truth of her nature. The world seemed to agree in a quiet stand still. “What else is there about me mother? Is there something you have perhaps left out? Anything that could aid me?” Millay’s voice shook the silent void between the three of them.

Lucinda shook her head in response, “That is all I know dear. Please do not be afraid of who you are, for you can save mankind from He Who Cannot Be Named and Deatheaters.” Or she could aid Voldemort and his Deatheaters, but Lucinda kept that last bit to herself believing in her daughter’s judgment. Even those two names shook fear into Lucinda’s unbearably broken and open heart.

Millay recieved a sense of knowing not to ask who this man, ‘He Who Cannot Be Named’ is, nor whom the Deatheaters were so she simply settled for a nod of understanding. Her mother embraced the two fairly shaken girls for a long while and then finally sent them to pack for a terribly long stay at the Weasley house.

***************************

“Millay and Destiny, darlings! Are you almost ready to leave for the Burrow?” Lucinda’s yelling could be heard two miles around. Lucinda leaned on the cream-colored wall, impatiently waited for her two girls next to the foot of the worn staircase. Inside Lucinda’s head she was troubled to see her daughters off to the Weasley’s, but she knew they would take far better care of her children than she ever could with Voldemort searching for her. An exasperated sigh could be heard from the exhausted eleven year old who now trudged downstairs wearing a rosy colored knee-length skirt with a coral colored flannel.

“Mum, Millay is coming, but she is having a complete and utter freak out. It’s actually giving me the chills.” Destiny declares while faking an extremely dramatic shudder. Lucinda let out a barely audible snort and propelled upwards, towards Millay who is lying face first onto her bed.

“Millay dear you have to get up. The Weasleys are awaiting your arrival and can’t wait to meet your sister and you.” Lucinda’s eyebrows furrow as Millay flips onto her back and decides to sit upward yet stays quiet. “Come on now, they have even offered to take your sister and you to Diagon Alley to get your supplies, though I wish we could have done that together.” Lucinda noticed how none of these words are affecting Millay’s decision on getting up, so she presses on with another tactic. “I already sent your sister and your acceptance letter to Professor Dumbledore using Isrig, so there is absolutely no turning back young lady. Plus you remember our little talk two weeks back?” Lucinda arched a light brown eyebrow, urging her daughter to respond to her words.

Millay finally gave in and spoke in a hushed tone. “Of course I do Mother, it is just I do not know how to fair with the fact that this is my very first year and yet I am a third year! I cannot perform any form of magic nor spell, and yet my whole class will be sure to be able to. It is embarrassing, is all.” Lucinda frowns in a bit of pity towards Millay, as she takes her daughter’s small hand.

“Honey, I am not asking you to go! I am telling you to, direct orders from General Mum.” Her mother let out a mischievous grin and playfully winks towards Millay. “Plus I have already told you about how you will double your classes and the sorting hat will be put atop your tiny head once you arrive. Dumbledore will make sure of it, I assure you darling. You have nothing to fear.” With a soft yet quick touch of Lucinda’s lips to Millay’s forehead, Lucinda tugged on Millay’s hand, and dragged her daughter down the stairs and motioned for her two girls to stay put remembering her daughter’s luggage.

Lucinda bounded back up towards Millay’s room and hastily snatches Millay’s suitcases, which were two brown leather rectangular shaped boxes connected to a pulley. Lucinda grabbed the first handle and slung the other over her shoulder and took off down the stairs full of a random burst of excitement and eagerness to get her daughters to the Weasleys, see her son for the first time in ages, and be reacquainted with old friends.

Lucinda grinned widely as she handed Millay her luggage and grabbed a little pot from the end table that had greek letters engraved into it that read, “Μή Δίκτυο Σκόνη”. Millay knew most Greek inscriptions and knew if translated, “Floo Network Powder” would be read. Millay quirked an eyebrow, silently waiting as her mother poured some of the green powder into each of the three’s hands.

“Alright you two.” Lucinda spoke up, “This is known as the Floo Network, please listen carefully. You go stand under the fireplace and fluently pronounce where you want to go. I want you to say ‘To The Burrow’ and you will be transported there without error. If you mispronounce you could end up extremely out of your way and we would have to use a tracking spell, once I reach the Weasley's that is. I will be going last, so who volunteers to go first?” A broad smile was pasted onto Lucinda’s lips.

Destiny shrugs her petite form and speaks up, “Sure I suppose. It can’t hurt, can it?” Lucinda shakes her head and gave her youngest a reassuring smile. Destiny lets out an unbelievably nervous giggle and made her way to the fire pit. She squared her shoulders and squeezed her eyes shut as she braced herself to be transported to the Weasleys once she says merely words. Destiny spoke with great confidence, “To The Burrow.” In a mere moment green flames licked her body and she disappeared from sight.

Millay sucks in a deep calming breath, and steps into the spot her sister disappeared from. She glanced towards her mother who gave her a meek nod before she shut her eyelids, and she soon released the magical words, “To the Burrow.” Nothing indicated that her setting has changed, but as Millay opens her eyes she does not see her tranquil living room, but an entirely new scene. She let out a breathy sigh. The house mix-matched in front of her had levels stacked up on top of each other, and the sight was nearly so magnificent Millay almost gasped.

“Beautiful isn’t it, sister?” Millay spun on her heel and saw a sixteen nearly seventeen year old Corben staring at his sister in wonder. His dark nearly pitch black hair was disheveled but he looked healthy and clean enough, and Millay felt a tug at her heart. It was true her brother resembled her father in many ways, but in personality he was much like their mother, sweet and unusually silent in front of unfamiliar people. But of course that was years ago and Millay was unsure of his new personality for time can most likely even change that of a person.  “I find it more homey than my, well now our old home to be completely honest.”

“Well, is that really a way to greet your mother after five years, Corben? Insulting her home! Someone ought to teach you manners son!” Even as Lucinda was speaking, a few warm salty tears poured from her eyes at the sight of all her children together, for even young Destiny had found her way over to the reunited family.

“Mother!” Corben’s eyes became red and irritated from the tears that threatened to fall as he embraced his mother for the first time in five years, taking in her familiar safe scent yet again. “I’ve waited for this for along time.” All of the children have now joined in on the embrace and it seemed the reunion would forever be full of tears.

The reunited family pulled apart hesitantly, afraid of letting go. The mother of the three children was first to speak. “Alright now you goblin children, it is time we go say hello to our host. It has been years since I have actually heard from those gingers!”

The Astren family shuffled into the tall homey Burrow, which was several floors high. As they sauntered in they were greeted by a stouter woman who had ginger colored locks that went down to the tops of her shoulder blades in curls.

“Good lord, the children! Oh my! You must be Destiny, right little one?” She inquired from Millay, Millay only gave a short laugh and shook her head. “Oh, I see! You must be Millay, well of course you are. You do look close to Harry and Ron’s age I suppose. Apologies darlin’, but I don’t see the resemblance to your mother and father.” Millay knew the woman was only observing and meant no harm, yet those words dug a knife into her stomach. “Ah, you must be the little Destiny I’ve been hearing about!” She said as she flashed a short smile towards Destiny, who merely nodded in surprise at the woman’s cheerfulness.

Millay took a quick glance around and noted the terribly long and narrow dining table and wondered just how many people this house was hosting at this moment. A soft and quiet sigh escaped her lips as she took in the cluttered area which reminded her of how her house use to be, happy and full of life. There were mugs hanging from the bottom shelf of a wooden cupboard and a cutting board with a knife inserted into it nearly directly in front of the group. The house was full of warm colors, such as brown and a soft yellow which gave her comfort.

Mrs. Weasley's voice pulled Millay from her observing, “Oh and if it isn’t the mama bear!” Mrs. Weasley said while embracing Lucinda into a warm hug. “Arthur won a Daily Prophet Prize Draw of 700 galleons and decided to then take us all to visit Bill in Egypt, it was terribly lovely!” Mrs. Weasley then whispered something low and inaudible towards Lucinda and Lucinda only shook her head sadly and gave a half hearted shrug. Pulling away from Lucinda, Mrs. Weasley began to speak chipperly, “Well It would be best if you met my crew, wouldn’t it, considering you will be staying with us till this semester starts and so on.”

She called up the wooden  crooked stairs, “Boys! Ginny! Ron, Harry, George, and Fred! Oh and Hermione of course! Get your blazing ninny pants down here darlings! You need to meet the rest of the Astrens!” She turned to the waiting and anxious family, all besides Corben, and breaks into a grin. “Boys, boys, always late to absolutely everything, let me tell you!” Her voice carried off as she hurried into the kitchen, leaving the Astrens to the awkward waiting and hearing of six footsteps attempting to run down at the same time and words being sputtered from angry mouths.

“Blimey!”

“Bloody hell!”

“Watch your feet, Ron!”

“Weasel romps!”

“Boys hush it.”

“I am older than you so you hush it.”

Millay couldn't hold in her fits of laughter any longer, for she burst into almost a frantic fit of chuckles and he-ha’s. She attempted to hush herself using her long black sleeve of her Lynyrd Skynyrd sweatshirt to muffle her giggles, but failed terribly at doing so.

The group of children had finally made their way downstairs and now stood in front of the Astrens, the oldest maybe eighteen. “What in the bloody hell is she so cracked up about?” Ron, the shorter red head and freckle faced boy asked. The girl with bushy mousy hair, who Millay assumed was either Hermione or Ginny, rolled her eyes at Ron’s wording and cursing. One of the older ginger twins Fred, swatted at the back of Ron’s head. “Oi! What in devil’s name was that for?” Ron’s faced bunched up into a pout, which only increased Millay’s laughter.

“You shouldn’t speak that way in front of a girl or woman! It’s bloody bad!” In effect to what Fred had said, George, the other identical twin, swatted him in the back of the head as well. “What was that for Georgie?” Fred’s brows furrowed as he questioned George’s antics. Millay’s laughter only increased some more and she knew in that moment she would befriend these two, or maybe even three red heads quite easily.

“I dunno Freddie.” George smirked at Fred while his voice trailed off, but Fred only sent him a playful glare before tackling George to the ground and poking his ribcage repeatedly. “Fine! I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you!” Fred managed to squeeze out in a wheezy plea. “You told Ron not to cuss and yet you said the ‘B’ word right then and there! It seemed so blimey fitting, I could not resist the urge, alright!” George pouted in an exasperated tone. Fred finally let off of George as their mother came in swatting a rag at the two troublemakers and spewing double curses at the two twins. Finally the enraged mother returned to the kitchen, and a young girl by the name Ginevra or Ginny for short, came down the stairs wide eyed. Millay’s laughter had died out by then as Ginny stood atop the bottom stair.

Millay noted that she seemed to look as old as Destiny maybe a year older, and she also had inherited the extremely ‘Popular Among The Weasley's’ red  hair. Ginny smiled tightly at her brothers, but when her eyes danced over a certain boy with brown almost black hair and glasses, her smile softened as did her eyes. “Harry!” Ginny bounded next to him and playfully poked his ribs. The boy Harry nodded and smiled softly at Ginny in response and a faint blush creeped onto his pale olive skin tone. Millay now knew to steer clear of catching that boy Harry’s attention, for Ginny would gladly tear her intestines out if needed.

Ginny eyed Millay warily and Millay almost wondered why until she remembered she had complete unnatural pristine white hair that usually catches everyone’s eye and causes prejudice judgment from others. Millay gave a shy sweet smile towards Ginny in an offer of ‘I am not a toad woman I swear’ feel, and Ginny returned it happily enough. Ginny bounded over towards the two sisters, and Destiny smiled soft and sweetly towards her. “Hello, I am Ginevra, but please call me Ginny.” Ginny grinned widely at the two girls but mostly towards Destiny who outwardly grinned at her. “What are you two named, if I may ask? I was told Millay and Destiny, but I am unaware as to who is who, you see.” Ginny inquired thoughtfully.

Destiny spoke up first introducing herself as ‘Destiny Molly Astren’, so then Millay decided she ought to follow suit. But before Millay could speak, Ginny piped in. “My middle name is Molly too Destiny! This is great! Here, how about you stay in my room with me and we can get to know each other some more?” Ginny spoke, clearly enthusiastic. Millay almost let out a loud gasp at Ginny’s indirected rudeness but hardly managed to hold it in. Destiny only nodded as the two of them strode upstairs luggage in hand and conversing over what their favorite music genre was.

The girl next to the lighting-bolt marked boy finally introduced herself to Millay. “Hello Millay, I assume that’s your name. I am Hermione Granger and if you don’t mind I am going to go catch up with the other girls.” Hermione gave a slight sheepish nod to Millay and then bolted for the stairs, soon disappearing from Millay’s sight.

Millay rubbed the back of her neck looking down, as the boys in front of her shuffled their large feet awkwardly. Millay’s mother broke the silence with words. “Alright, so how about you boys go and help Millay get settled, Hm? Do not forget to show her around either you bumbles!” All of the boys broke into wide grins except the one who appeared the oldest, and Millay then noticed that Corben had already moved himself in between the boys. Fred and George appeared older than Ron by three to two years so Millay hypothesized that they were fifth years, the same as Corben. The two easily took Millay’s luggage from her and swung it onto their lean backs, carrying one for each of them. Millay mumbled a quick thank you towards the two of them thoughtfully.

Fred, the twin to her left spoke up, “What was that, couldn’t hear you?” As George wore an incredibly playful smirk on her right. Millay lightly punched Fred in the arm and bit back her witty remark. “Girl’s got fire, I like that!” Fred flashed Millay a toothy  grin, as Millay’s brother Corben, punched Fred slightly hard on his shoulder blade.

“Fred, that’s my sister! She is completely too young for you.” Corben stated with a ‘Hmph’ at the end. “Not that it makes much a difference seeing how Ginny is all over Potter boy here.” Corben announced and Harry in effect to Corben’s humiliating words, turned as red as a Cherry Tomato. Millay burst into a fit of laughter at the scene playing out before her and clung onto George for support.

“My god, you all are too amusing. You go from one thing to another and you cannot help but poke fun at each other. You are all my kind of people, but the true question remains, where are my pranksters?” Millay quirks an eyebrow up and wears a mischievous grin as she steadies herself upright.

The two twins immediately rose their slightly freckled hands. Millay swore  she could see puppy dog eyes pasted on their own at that moment. “Us! Us! Most definitely us!” The twins shouted in chorus. Millay sported a wicked grin, and from that moment she knew this year would be unforgettable.