Chapter 1
Prologue
September 1st, 1971
Adalia Sol Avery, the child of Ana Marie Avery and Nicholas I Alastair Avery. She was a wealthy pureblood and her family was apart of the sacred 28. One would think she'd be uptight and snobby but no, she lacked, oh so much, of what her family was. She was so odd, so imaginative, so kind. Her parents knew how different she was and so did her older brother, Nicholas II Anders Avery. "Adalia, did you hear me?" Speaking of the slightly taller boy.
"Hm?" Adalia looked away from the window.
"Where did you go off to?" The 13 year old boy crossed his arms.
"Nowhere, I-I'm just excited." The young girl smiled.
"Well, don't go off jinxing yourself in that imaginative brain of yours." His words sounded all too familiar. They were the same words her father drilled into her. The apple doesn't fall too far from the tree when it came to Nicholas.
"I can't help it." Adalia told him, fidgeting with her fingers.
“You need to practice self-restraint and discipline.” Nicholas shook his head. Adalia stayed silent. She learned a long time ago that no matter what she did or what she said, there’ll always be things she needed to work on. Her family never let her forget.
Nicholas didn’t wait for the girl to respond, he just opened his book and leaned back in his seat.
Adalia looked around the compartment and muttered that she had to use the restroom. "Down the hall, to your left." Her brother said, too fascinated with the material in his hands.
"Thanks." She said before walking out. Once she used the restroom, she steadily made her way back to her compartment. She could hear other students talking about how excited they were to be returning to hogwarts while others talked about it being their first year. Once conversation caught her attention in particular.
"I'm just scared." A boy with a hushed voice admitted. "I've never been away from home."
"It'll b-be okay." Another boy encouraged him. "Hogwarts is s-safe. My parents have t-told me all about it, after a while it starts to feel like a sec-second home."
"Really?" The girl couldn't help but chime in. "My parents told me it's strictly a boarding school. I am to work my hardest and trust only my brother until we get back home. There shall be no funny business while you are away." The girl imitated her father, making the two boys slightly chuckle.
"They sound very serious." Peter pointed out.
"They are." The girl confirmed. "I'm Adalia Sol Avery." She stepped inside the compartment and reached her hand out.
"Peter Pettigrew." He responded and shook her hand.
The other boy hand been staring at Adalia with adoration since she first stepped in. There was s slight flutter in his chest as she took her hand in his. "Re-rem-remus John Lu-Lupin."
Her smile was warm and welcoming. Something he wouldn't have expected from an Avery. "It's nice to meet you," Adalia then pulled her hand back. "Both of you."
Adalia noticed the scar on Remus's face and wanted to ask how he got it but she knew it'd be rude. She barely knew him. Still, her curiosity was peaked and so was her interest in Remus.
"D-do you want t-to sit?" Remus offered. "We h-have plenty of room in here?"
Adalia smiled softly. Could she have to potential made her first two friends? They seemed so nice. She was only seconds away from accepting his offer when her brother stormed in. He grabbed her by the arm. An angry expression plastered on his face. "What're you doing in here?" He asked harshly.
"Nothing, just making friends." She stated, a shiver of fear ran down her spine.
The two boys looked at each other in confusion and then looked back at the pair. Nicholas examined the two boys and scoffed. "You shouldn't associate yourself with bottom feeders, Adalia. Let's go."
The girl sadly looked back at the boys before leaving with her brother. "Bottom feeders? How does he even know us?"
"Th-their father works for the ministry of m-magic and so does mine. My father some-sometimes comes home ranting about certain w-wizards, i-i wouldn't be surprised if his father d-did the same." Remus explained.
"But what did we do specifically?" Peter questioned.
"Be ha-half bloods." Remus answered. "You grew up in the muggle world so you should know some families are ex-ex-extremely pr-prejudice."
Peter's stomach turned. "Great so there's people at this new school who already don't like me."
Remus chuckled. "Yeah."
They were both people pleasers but one of them cared a little more about what others thought. When it came to blood status, Remus could care less. It was all so stupid to him. How can ones value be determined by their linage? Logically, it just didn't sit right with him.
He couldn't help but think about Adalia and how different she seemed from her brother. Surely she would've overheard her father talking about certain wizards and their families too? Yet, she seemed unwavering when they mentioned their names. Does she just not pay attention to what her father says or could she be like him, refusing to determine someone's character by their blood status?
As he wrestled with that, he thought about her dark curly hair and her soft brown eyes. She had dimples too he thought. A small smile overtook his lips as he looked out the window.
Just a few compartments over, sat Adalia with her brother. He lectured her about wondering off and getting mixed up with the wrong kind of wizards. Adalia was barely paying attention. She had tuned him out and went back to looking out the window. Images of what her life could be like in Hogwarts flashed through her mind. Perhaps, she could have a break from her parents, maybe the castle will be so big, she'll barely have to endure her brothers excruciatingly long lectures.
Maybe Remus was right, perhaps Hogwarts can be a second home away from home. Or in Adalia's case just a home.