Finding The Light

End Of Summer (edited)

Okay so this is the start of Chamber of Secrets :P

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I hadn't been able to write to anyone over the summer, Daniel had taken Hooter off me and locked her in the spare room downstairs with all my school stuff. I got my punishment for keeping my Gryffindor friends, honestly it was a surprise i didn't need to go to hospital after it.

Eventually I'd had one too many beatings and I decided I was just going to find somewhere to hide in Diagon alley until it came time to get the train. I knew it meant an even worse Summer when i got back from school, but at that moment i didn't care, i'd cope with it when i got there.

So one night when Daniel had left to go and find a new toy, i grabbed my things and took off, using the book i'd borrowed from the school library to teach me how to apparate. There was a small abandoned flat above an empty shop that i squatted in for three nights - glad it still had running water and strangely enough, food.

On my fourth day in the little wizard village i was wandering around with my bag of stuff - Hooter had flown off for a hunt sometime that morning - when i spotted some familiar faces. I ran up and pounced on Ron's back with a loud roar.

"Belle!" he, Harry and Hermione exclaimed.

"Hey guys," I stepped in between Harry and Ron. "How's my best beasties doing?"

"Good, you?" Harry asked, eyeing the bruises all over me and my broken left wrist.

"Great!" I grinned. "Been in Diagon alley for a few days now."

Harry frowned as we headed for the bookshop which was crowded, a poster announcing Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his book.

"We can actually meet him!" Hermione squealed. "I mean, he's written almost the whole booklist!"

"He's a pig, Hermione," i stated with a roll of my eyes.

Despite that, I followed them to Mr and Mrs Weasley and the others. Since the books were new on the list, Daniel had bought them for me when he got the letter in, but most of it seemed like children's stories than actual adventures.

"Oh, there you are, good," said Mrs. Weasley. "We'll be able to see him in a min - oh Belle dear!" she hugged me, then examined me, "Oh my goodness what happened?!"

"Oh i fell down the stairs," i laughed. "Tripped over my shoes."

"Well, you'll be coming back to the burrow? It would be nice to have you over, you can owl your family later."

"Great," Ron grinned. "Oh great," he then groaned.

Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd.

The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard's hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair. Harry and Ron sniggered as I mimicked being sick and Hermione elbowed me in the side, flushing red as she stared at the blonde man.

A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.

"Out of the way, there," he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet -"

"Big deal," said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it. Unfortunately, Lockhart looked up and spotted Harry.

"It can't be Harry Potter?" he gasped.

The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Lockhart dived forward, seized Harry's arm, and pulled him to the front out of mine and Ron's grip, the two of us glared at the blonde man.