falling

chapter 1

'stop dad! stop! you're hurting him!

'i dont CARE!'

lennon screamed. vernon came rushing up the stone cold staircase.

i woke with a start, fat tears rolling down my blotchy red skin.

'its ok lucy...im ok' whispered lennon as he hugged me to let me know he was here and ok, far away from dad.

'im sorry len, you shouldn't have to comfort me when its you that was abused..' i whispered.

when vernon had taken us to stay with our uncle serverus, dad was the worst he had ever been. even though mum had left us when i was two, dad was still in pain now, and im fourteen. edna, my older sister who is mums daughter, says dad should be ok now, and i agree.

when mum and dad first met, they were madly in love, even though dad had a wife and my eldest brother, vernon whos 27, and mum had jimmie, caitlyn and edna. together they had me and my younger brother lennon. mum and dad were only together two years, before mum left and dad became a drunk.

now i live with my uncle, serverus snape, but he's not here most of the time.

'hurry UP!' uncle yelled from downstairs.

'im coming!' i screamed back.

i ran down the staircase and into the ministry car, which was bewitched to fit as many people as necessary. lennon and caitlyn were already in the car giggling because i was being yelled at, again. caitlyn was starting 7th year, lennon 3rd, me 4th.

i loved hogwarts, because it was the only place that had ever felt like home. when i lived with dad, we were never safe at home, and living with uncle s was more of a temporary thing. hogwarts was beautiful and it was filled with things and people i loved.

finally we arrived at kings cross station, where we would run through the barrier to platform 9 3/4. uncle s disapparated to hogwarts, because he was the potions professor.

hands appeared over my eyes and a familiar voice said,

'guess who'

'is it... a certain pug?'

'thats right!' giggled my best friend pansy, as she came into view.