Reborn - A Harry Potter Fanfiction

i.iii chapter three

Summer, 1991; Diagon Alley

Ember Swan hadn't had much in life. Even as a baby she had nothing; she was found in the ashes of a burnt down house, no family, no record of who lived there; it was if she never had existed. Even her name wasn't her own, it was given to her upon the day she was found. That was her story. The mystery child, born from flames and ashes. Well, that's what the newspaper title had been ten years ago...all she'd been left with was a small key on a chain, wrapped around her neck.

Ember twirled it around her fingers as she sat on the end of the bed...thinking. After Hagrid had left her to go find his bird, she'd washed up with the bowl and jug situated on the side table, splashing her face a few times before patting herself down with a warm, cotton towel. She hadn't known what to do about her hair and so had left it in the tangled rat's nest that is was.

Madam Fawley had come in shortly after, dropping off her her old clothes that had been newly washed and ironed and so Ember had discarded the green and white, stripy pyjamas and promptly slipped on her incredibly small, checkered pink dress and murky green, woollen cardigan. It felt nice to be clean, to have been freshly washed with freshly washed clothes. Ember also didn't feel nearly as achy as she used to, for all the cuts and bruises she used to possess had disappeared, for that reason alone she knew this place was magic.

Dropping her necklace back onto her chest, she bent down to slip on her white socks. She'd tried to arrange them so that her toes wouldn't poke through the holes, but no matter what she did, it made no difference. For the past thirty minutes, she'd been reading a magazine called Witch Weekly. Though it was obviously targeted for middle aged women, Ember found it fascinating to learn just about anything about the wizarding world. It was terrifying thought leaving this hospital, yet also an exciting one. She knew not where she was going and heading out into a world that was completely unknown. Since she was born, she knew her future was the children's home until she was eighteen. After that she expected to get some crummy job and live in a crummy flat, basically until she died. But now that had all changed and everything was up in the air.

A light knock sounded on the door, and Ember was brought from her thoughts back into reality as Madam Fawley and Hagrid entered into the small hospital room. Ember beamed, noticing the friendly giant and jumped to her feet.

"You're all cleared to go Miss Swan, I've signed the papers so best be off with you" Madam Fawley smiled, standing quaintly to the side as Hagrid wandered up to her.

"How yer feeling Ember?" He asked, grinning.

"Much better" she smiled, quickly grabbing her muddy trainers and slipping them onto her feet. She was so excited to get going. Hagrid beamed, and he seemed to have an excited look in his eye as he held his arms behind his back. Once Ember had stood up only then did he blurt what he'd so desperately trying to say out.

"I've got someone for yer to meet!"

"Okay" she giggled at his ecstasy, whilst Madam Fawley shook her head. Though Ember could clearly see amusement on her face, despite trying her best to hide it. Hagrid didn't waste a second and brought his hands back round to reveal a small cage and inside was the tiniest owl Ember had ever seen.

"Woah" she gasped, her grey eyes widening. "Is this Penelope?"

"She is indeed" Hagrid beamed like a proud mother. "And she's all yours."

Ember looked slightly taken aback. She didn't know what to say. The owl was small and was a beautiful colour of chestnut brown with a large, fluffy white tummy. It titled its head as it looked back at Ember with its beady, golden eyes.