The Difference in Reality [A Harry Potter Fanfiction]

Year 1: Chapter 1

A knock sounded on Willow's door. "I'm heading out now, Sweetheart. I'll be home at five o'clock sharp, I promise."

"You were a minute late last time. You're sure it'll be five sharp?"

Willow heard light chuckling in the hallway. "Yes, you sarcastic little lunatic. Love you."

"Love you too. Don't get killed by a graphorn."

A second later, Willow heard her father whisk himself off to wherever he was needed these days. His work required him to travel all over the world, which would have been fine had he been allowed to let Willow tag along. Whenever she asked why she couldn't accompany him on his ventures, it would always result in the same answer: "When you're older and finally learn how to not trip over your shoelaces, you can come with me, but for now, we're not going to risk you tumbling over a cliff."

To make it up to her, Willow's father took her on vacation every summer to a new grand and wonderful destination he had discovered on his travels. Last year, she relaxed in the Amazon among thousands of vibrantly colored birds, and the year before, Austrailia greeted them with terrifying insects and even more threatening landscapes. Willow loved those times. It was just her and her dad, nothing was wrong with the world, and they could receive each other's full attention without any disruptions. To her, that was paradise.

Willow rubbed her eyes and walked out of her room. The early morning sunlight streamed in through the glass windows that stretched across the back of her grand house, giving everything in it an inviting glow. Willow made her way to the kitchen and made herself a bowl of cereal, then sat down at her long table.

The mansion wasn't alike to others of its kind in any way except size. It had a everything a normal house had, but at a much greater scale, and came with a few extra rooms. The library and garden were Willow's favorite part of the entire house. She had played in those areas for hours when she was younger, running until her legs wouldn't run any more. Now, she mainly used the library for actual reading, and the garden for a nice stroll before school. Unlike most mansions, hers was decorated simply and more on the rustic side. Wooden beams crisscrossed high ceilings that opened up to enormous glass skylights, polished wooden furniture could be found in every room, and there were few electric lights, as Willow's father, Carlos, chose to light the house with natural light and installed many, many windows. Willow loved to sleep in the living room at times, simply staring at the constellations until sleep made her eyelids heavy with exhaustion. She spent a great deal of her time outdoors, thriving on challenge, and fresh air to supplement it. Her life was constantly on the move. Anything that couldn't keep up was left behind.

Suddenly, the front door burst open. Willow smiled ear to ear when she recognized the visitors.

"Abeula! Abuelo!" Willow cried, clambering off her chair and practically jumping into her grandma's arms.

"Willow! How have you been?" her grandma asked.

"Pretty good," Willow mumbled into her chest. She pried herself off and tackled her grandfather in turn. A small bark sounded from the front hall.

"Perrito! You brought him!" Willow exclaimed, scooping up the small dog in her hands.

Willow's grandparents immigrated from Mexico the the U.S. to search for work after they got married. They successfully went to college and got degrees there, securing careers as veterinarians with a side job of dog breeding. It was there that they had Willow's father and his two brothers. Then, when Willow's father grew up and married her mother, the whole family moved to Great Britain.

"Are you excited?" Willow's grandfather asked.

"More than I've ever been in my life! And to think it all started with a letter!"