SCARLETT: THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

Prologue

"Scar, Scar please, if you can hear me, let me in your door! Please!" The unmistakable voice of Eliza Ruby Gabriel-Slater screamed into my head. I woke with a start, pulling on my dressing gown and running down the stairs to open the door. Eliza stood there with her trunk and cat, face streaked with tears. I hugged her quickly, figuring she could need it after everything that had happened to her.

"What happened?" I whispered. "I would just read your mind, but I'd feel bad to invade your privacy.."

Eliza nodded. "Thanks. I'll tell you in a minute. Can I come inside?"

I helped her with her trunk and lifted her cat onto my shoulder as I shut the door. Moonbeam, the cat, nuzzled into my shoulder. I didn't have a cat anymore, because Archibald, my cat from second year, was such a nightmare. I gave him to our neighbours. I kinda wanted to get a new one, a girl this time, as I've heard they're better behaved.

Anyway, Eliza entered and the first thing I noticed was that her hair was significantly shorter than it was when I last saw it. It was dip-dyed red and had a small feather clip in it, which was red to match the hair. Eliza saw me looking at the clip and smiled lightly.

"The hairdresser gave me a feather clip for everyday of the week."

I nodded. "Cool."

I locked the door and went into the kitchen, where I got the biscuit tin out of the cupboard.

"So, did you get that letter from Dumbledore?"

"Yeah...Diagon tomorrow?"

"Diagon Alley tomorrow."
*
Eliza explained to me that she hadn't asked her dad about her hair, so he had a fit when she came home. They had a heated argument about how Liza should 'ask permission for such matters'. Eliza got a bit upset, so she remembered my address from the wedding and took a bus here. After that, she came up to my room and I got out my sleeping bag from behind the door.

I got out my pjs and slipped into them, then got some parchment and started writing a reply to Dumbledore, which I hadn't got round to doing yet.

To/Dear Professor Dumbledore,

Eliza Gabriel-Slater and I are going to London tomorrow, so we will arrive at the house shortly after.

Scarlett Carran

*
"Let's go to that pet shop first, I'd like to get a cat!"

We entered the shop. There were loads of cages that lined the walls, each with an animal inside. I went to small section with only cats and began looking.

Black cats, Grey cats, White cats. I passed cage after cage, until I saw a little kitten.

It was grey, with white stripes and spots. I recognised it immediately to being a Bengal by the ears.

The tag on the cage said: 'FEMALE. BEWARE; MAY BECOME VICIOUS WITH AGE.'. I wasn't worried. After Archibald, I was ready for anything.

Okay, I sold him, but you get what I mean.

Besides, it was a cute kitten. Her eyes were an amber colour and her pupils were very wide. She crept cautiously towards me, as if expecting that I was going to hit her. Badly treated, probably.

I picked up the cage and set it down on in the counter. "This one please."

The lady at the counter looked at me doubtfully. "Are you sure you want that one? She can be quite vicious, you know.."

I just smiled. "Nothing I can't handle."

Later, I set the cage on the ice creams shop's table and looked at the little kitten.