Venus Lyra Figg has grown up in the cozy, little house of her aunt, Arabella Figg at Wisteria Walk, Little Whinging, Surrey, ever since she was a toddler. She did not remember much of her life alongside her parents. She did not know much about them, save for the fact that she had her father's hair and her mother's eyes, although that was just because a friend of Mrs Figg who came over on Venus's birthday every year told her so. Apparently, the lady, Minerva or as Venus called her, Minnie, knew her parents while they were at school.
She was told by Mrs Figg that her mother had passed away when she was born, and her dad, not too long after that in an accident. She did not know a lot about her parents, given that Mrs Figg never did satisfy her curiosity about them. Despite that, Venus had a high respect for her aunt but she sometimes felt that the woman was perhaps off-the-rocker. Her suspiscion may have to do with the fact that Mrs Figg kept numerous albums filled with pictures of all the cats she has ever owned, so much that it was as if she had an obsession with those cats, or probably with the fact that the living room always had to smell like cabbages.
Growing up, Venus never did quite fit in with other children of her age. Therefore she did not have many friends. Her only friend lived two streets away at number four Privet Drive. She first met Harry Potter when she was eight years old while he was six, during his first year at primary school. He was being pushed around by his cousin, Dudley and she stepped in, trying to stop the stout boy with her witty remarks, which only resulted in both Venus and Harry running away together to hide from the boy and his cronies. They have been inseparable ever since then, that is, until the year 1989 when Venus had finished primary school and was supposed to attend secondary school. She felt bad for leaving Harry alone for his last two years, especially when she knew that he did not have any friend apart from her and that Dudley would be able to bully him without her around. She therefore promised Harry that she would meet him as often as she could, after school or on weekends even though she knew it would be very difficult due to his guardians, the Dursleys.
Little did she know that keeping her promise would turn out to be way harder. In the middle of July, she received a letter, addressed to her. She thought it was quite weird since she never received mail. Yet, here it was, a letter, sporting her name on the envelope. With trembling hands, she opened the letter.
She was utterly confused.
Was it a prank? School of witchcraft?
She thought it was very weird until she noticed Minnie's name at the bottom. She knew the woman worked at a school as well as her full name.
Surely this could not be a coincidence?
"I suppose you want an explanation," her aunt's voice startled her, "Come, I'll tell you everything."
Venus heeded her aunt's words and went to take a seat beside her on the couch. Mrs Figg took her niece's hands in hers as she started to explain.
"You're a witch Venus."
In that instant, Venus was sure her aunt had finally gone bonkers until it finally started to make sense. She thought about how once, she caused lightning to strike when she was angry, although that was brushed off as coincidental. Then there was all the times when she and Harry escaped Dudley and his friends. They once ended up on a tree while running away from the bullies.
"Here, have this," Mrs Figg told her niece while taking another envelope from her bag and handed it to Venus.
"What is this?"
"The answer to your questions."