CHAPTER ONE
Andrea Natalia Ward sat in her double transfiguration class on a Tuesday afternoon, trying not to fall asleep.
Transfiguration is one of Andrea's favorite subjects, not only was she good at it but she also liked the professor - Minerva McGonagall. The same woman who had told her about this world, the truth behind who she really was - her head of house, Gryffindor.
But today was different, Andrea had stayed up all night helping poor Ron study for their potions quiz they had that morning and Andrea simply couldn't function properly without a full night's sleep.
Andrea kept thinking about how she couldn't wait for the school day to be over so she could take a power nap before dinner.
***
"Good morning sleeping beauty." Harry laughs upon seeing Andrea walk down the great hall to where they usually sit by the Gryffindor table.
"How much did I miss?" Andrea asks seeing everyone was already eating dessert.
"Not much, just the dinner part," Harry replies.
"Don't worry I saved you some food." Hermione pushes a plate of food toward Andrea.
"Thank you," Andrea says digging right into the food Hermione had saved.
Andrea was used to being hungry, two years ago she was placed with a middle-aged woman named Gina Carlsson who only fostered children to get money for it, she didn't care about children that had no one to take care of them. Only faking it when the child services would inspect their home.
When Andrea was home she was the one to take care of the two younger children of ages seven and six because Gina was always either too drunk to do it or too annoyed to do it herself.
How Fredrick and Anna were surviving all by themselves for most of the year was a miracle, if it wasn't for Andrea teaching them simple things like making toast and washing their clothes things wouldn't have been going to smoothly for them.
"I regret choosing divination as one of my elective classes." Ron groans remembering tomorrow they were starting with one of their elective classes bright and early.
"That woman has no self-respect, how can she go around to children and tell them they have the shortest lifespan she has seen?" Hermione exclaims just above a whisper to calm herself.
"I mean what do we expect?" Andrea cuts in. "Your brothers did say the woman was a bit..." Andrea looks at Ron as she twirls her finger at the side of her head.
" - Crazy."
"She's out of it that's what she is," Ron replies.
"We'll just change divination into something else for fourth year, just gotta survive the rest of this term and next," Harry says.
***
As November slowly turned into December snow started falling and everyone were getting excited for Christmas. It was the new hot topic - talking about what everyone had wished for Christmas and what they hope they would get.
Andrea had never really celebrated Christmas properly because Gina had never paid much attention to it. She decorated the house, had never bought them any presents or let them watch Christmas movies making that time of year not so very special. Andrea had always gathered up the money she had to buy Fredrick and Anna something, whether it was a cookie or a cheap secondhand sweater it was better than nothing.
" - That is it for class today, but before you leave I remind you all to come see your head of house regarding Christmas holidays on whether you will be staying here at the castle or going home." Professor McGonagall announces to her class before dismissing them off to their next one.
"Are you guys going home this year?" Hermione asks as the four of them walk out of the transfigurations classroom, on their way to the greenhouse for Herbology.
"I am, my parents aren't going to Romania this year so I get to go home." Ron replies.
"Me too. Mum wants to spend as many Christmases together as possible as she claims I won't come home in a few years - claiming I will be too busy having fun." Harry laughs.
"And you Andrea?" Hermione asks locking their arms together.
"Oh yeah, I'm going home," Andrea says.
Her friends didn't know about her living situation, they knew her parents have passed and were under the expression she lives with a family friend named Gina who was sweet and caring.
Something she in reality wasn't but Andrea didn't have the heart to tell the truth because it was embarrassing how no one wanted her.
***
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