Thea Howell and The Boy Who Lived

Chapter 1: Stone and Fire

Hogwarts' Castle was a large, seven-storey high building supported by magic, with a hundred and forty-two staircases throughout its many towers and turrets and very deep dungeons. The castle was built in the late Early Middle Ages by a french architect and the four most celebrated wizards of the age: Helga Hufflepuff the Valiant, Salazar Slytherin the Just, Rowena Ravenclaw the Gentle and Godric Gryffindor the Magnificent. With the guidance of the great four, the castle became Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, regarded as the finest wizarding school in the world and changed the modern world as we know it;

Or so I've heard, over and over again.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was a magical world filled with wonder and danger. The Forbidden Forest housed creatures that most people only read about in books. The teachers had strict rules in place to ensure the highest education - Many students would forget these rules becoming caught up in all the excitement of being part of such an unusual place - which made it even more important for teachers to be vigilant.

Hogwarts was one of the dangerous schools ever created, there is no doubt that many students believed it to be one of the most exciting places on Earth! Learn to defend against creatures of the night! Make potions that gives someone boils! Make a toad into a drinking cup! the list is endless, so long as you're comfortable wearing dreary black robes for 7 years. But, the most entertaining, was watching the 7th years getting reprimanded by one of the Head Teachers; This school would never stop taking my breath away.

The day seemed the same as the next; I was racing to the north tower, dodging ghosts, pulling faces at the pictures or knicking a pie from the kitchen before dropping into my favourate classroom; the DADA, Defence Against the Dark Arts! Inside was an iron chandelier hung from the ceiling, creatures stuffed in bottles, as well as a dragon's skeleton - possibly an Ironbelly - looming over all of it, then up the winding stairs to Professor Quirrell's cramped office. A man riddled was more problems than a hangry chihuahua.

Covering my nose from all the dust, I sat in in amazement as he tried to fit a dizzying array of books into an undersized velvet bag. He barely managed to get the strings tied around the bulging package squashed down to this original size.

"Morning Professor Quirrell," I said, ducking under his 'no tricks, no pranks, no nonsense' sign. "Going away so close to the school year?"

He nodded grimly. "Unfortunately so," he said, "The Ministry asked for me personally."

"Woah, must be really important. You didn't even stutter!"

Quirrell's face went pink, "C-certainly not," breath all shaky, "It's just-t paperwork... Endles-s-s p-paperwork..."

My eyes darted to a dusty map at the bottom, a drawing of a triangle on the ocean; Professor Quirrel[ was always a terrible liar.

I laughed sheepishly, "Oh, okay, ood luck!"

Professor Quirrell laughed at me kindly and gave a small bow of his head. "And go-go-go... to you as well!" With a flick of his wrist, he threw a clump of dirt into the fireplace. It hit the burning logs and burst into a brilliant green flame, illuminating the room in an eerie glow.

He flashed one last smile, "You're going to change the world, Lysithea Howell."

"Just Howell," I sneered.

He nodded, slinging the purse over his shoulder, he stepped out the door and vanished into the fire. The flames licked at his heels as he disappeared into the unknown, daring to venture where no man had gone before. Leaving only a trail of smoke and ash behind him

Right as I closed the door, the clock tower rang, signaling a new lesson. The classroom soon filled with students, each one feeling a mix of emotions. Some were excited, some were scared, and some were sad, it was their final lesson. My body squished by the sea of almost adults; I could see the anticipation in their eyes - I was too young to understand at the time.