Amethyst Rosewood and The Joys of Independence by Melissa Nichols (bill gates books recommendations .TXT) 📖

"I've never traveled by broomstick before."

"I know. That's why I thought you'd love it. I made sure to grab you our oldest, most trusted broomstick. It's strong enough to get us to London, and fast enough to keep things efficient. It's thicker in the handle for small, inexperienced hands, and it prefers to follow the lead broom, which is mine. You'll barely have to do anything. And you don't have to worry about Muggles seeing us; I cast a charm on these brooms to keep us invisible to them. But we can see everything, and other wizards can still see us. Just remember to breathe, okay? Oh! And I brought these handkerchiefs to help us with that." He dug into his pocket for a moment and pulled out two large handkerchiefs - one was purple, the other was white. He handed her the purple one. "I'll tie this around your head and mouth, to help keep you from swallowing bugs. I've also enchanted them to help us breathe. The brooms will be going quite fast for a long way; it's not exactly the best way for a novice broomrider to learn how to breathe while in the air. These handkerchiefs will help with that, slowing the air around your mouth so you can breathe more easily."

She stayed still while Percy helped her with the handkerchief. "So what do I do?"

Percy situated himself beside her. When he swung his leg over the broomstick, she did as well. Following Percy's instructions, she placed her right over her left and gripped firmly, the suitcase tucked between her hands.

"Now, bend your knees and shift your weight towards the back of the broom while you lean forward - yes, that's right. Next, we're going to kick off from the ground. Put all your weight into it, and hold tight to your broom. Ready? One. Two. Three!"

No sooner had she leapt than she was yanked into the sky by her broom. The unexpected force was almost too much for her small hands, but she managed to regain her grip on the broom and stayed in the air. Following Percy higher into the sky, her broom settled into its position and speed, a respectable distance behind and to the side of his. When they leveled out above the buildings, Amy relaxed and noticed how the air around her mouth wasn't being pulled as harshly across her face as her hair and clothes were. The handkerchief must be doing its job, and she found it quite easy to breathe. Percy looked back at her and she waved at him, to which he nodded and returned his focus to the sky in front of them.

Amy didn't ask how long they were in the air, but she knew they were getting close when Big Ben came into sight, and then she saw Buckingham Palace near it when she got closer. Percy waved at her and gestured they go higher. She nodded and followed him higher into the sky. They stayed below the clouds but they were now over the tallest buildings in the city. Percy also kept them tucked to the river Thames, where they joined other wizards travelling by broomstick. But while everyone else kept flying, Percy flew them over Buckingham Palace and Big Ben, to let Amy take in these incredible sights. The circling helped her see the bigger picture of London and the Thames, before Percy herded her off farther down the river to King's Cross Station, where they hovered for a while, reality settling in again for Amy as she focused on the train station below. This is the building that, in less than twenty-four hours, would hold the Hogwarts Express - the train that would take her to Hogwarts. This is where her new life as witch would truly begin as she boards the train for her new school.

After several minutes, Percy led her away from the river and deep into the surrounding neighborhoods of London. They steadily dropped altitude until they were flying just above the cars, and still no one turned to look at them. They made turn after turn, until they finally stopped in an alley far away from the London tourism.

They dismounted in a dark alley, near other brooms. "We can leave our brooms here. They'll be safe." Percy explained before he groaned and stretched his back for the first time in hours. Amy braced her broom against the wall and stretched as well. Now that her feet were on the ground, she could move around as much as she wanted - a welcome relief after having spent hours on a broom that reacted to her every movement.

She leaned against the wall to help her back settle into place after the stretching and breathed deeply before she asked, "What will we do now, Percy?"

"Now, we drop off your things. This is where you'll be staying the night and every summer."

"Here?"

"Yes. This is a special house for children who don't have homes to return to. Of course, it wasn't always." They stood outside the house now, watching number twelve. "It used to be a regular residence of a wizarding family - the Blacks. They, like other families of their time, prided themselves on being pureblood wizards. Meaning that they only married other pureblood wizards, not Muggles, Muggleborns or half-bloods. Its an old notion that has since gone out of style, but their home remains. Forty years ago, an evil wizard came into power. There was a great war called the First Wizarding War between the dark wizard Voldemort and his followers, and the witches and wizards who stood against him. When a baby named Harry Potter bounced his curse back at him, Voldemort disappeared. Among the casualties were Harry's own parents. For thirteen years, everything was peaceful and Harry grew into a young man. Through several adventures, he became a member of our family, a close friend to my brother and another son for my mother to dote on. But then Voldemort came back, having found a way to restore his body and power. His followers came back to him, bringing their own children to the cause. The Second Wizarding War waged for three years and ended in a great battle where Harry and his friends defeated Voldemort once and for all. But many lives were lost, including Harry's godfather and his father's best friend. When his godfather died, Harry came into possession of the Black house by right of inheritance, and he and his wife turned it into what it is now - a safe home for children who don't have a home to go to during summer break, orphans or those who can't go to their parents' home, where they can learn about more than spells, and make friends. And when they grow into adults, they can stay here after their graduation while they look for a job until they can afford their own place. And this is no longer the House of Black. Now it's the R.J. Lupin House."

"Whoa."

"I know, there's a lot of information that you didn't ask for. But you'll find that you'll make a lot of friends at Hogwarts, and some of them will probably start here. Now, let's go inside and drop off your things."

Three knocks on the door were answered almost immediately by an adult, a man was Amy's best guess. He was tall, almost as tall as Percy, and perhaps a bit on the thin side. He sported a few wrinkles, his hair was jet black and unruly, eyes a comforting and bright green, and he smiled warmly. In short, Amy didn't quite know what to make of him, but she trusted Percy and if he liked this man so much then he mustn't be bad.

"Ah, Percy, there you are! We were beginning to wonder where you were. And this must be Amy. Hello, Amy!"

"H-Hello."

"Harry!" A woman shouted from deeper in the house, drawing the man's attention behind him. "Will you stop chatting and invite them in? Lunch's almost ready and I'd like everyone at the table when it is, not standing in the doorway."

"I was just about to, Ginny." Harry replied and stood aside, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry about that, Amy. Welcome to Number 12 Grimmauld Place or - more recently - the R.J. Lupin House."

"Thank you, sir, for allowing me to stay here tonight and the following summers."

"Of course, my dear. You're quite welcome here. Now, how about if Percy shows you around and shows you to your room, eh?"

Amy nodded and followed Percy inside while Mr. Potter moved toward the living room.

They walked on a cherry-colored hardwood floor that Amy fell in love with - what a wonderfully deep yet expressive color! The walls themselves were white, accentuating the redness in the wood. The stairwell was to Amy's right, with a cherry-colored banister to match the hardwood, the same walls all of the way to the top floor as far as Amy could see, and the stairs were the same hardwood but topped with a beautiful red and gold rug that Amy could only glance at.

Percy drew her attention into the living room, where there were chairs circled around the fireplace, and another group of chairs further back into the foyer. The theme of cherry floors and white walls continued, and the chairs themselves continued the theme. They looked soft and plushy, and were white-colored with cherry feet. There were also windows here, letting in light and warmth, dressed with white curtains. Through them, Amy could see a sight that she knew should be impossible to find in London; the lake she had lived near back in her village. She could even see her pigeon friend's tree! How was this possible? What spell allowed this? She'd have to ask Percy later.

"Now, before it was opened with it's new purpose, this house actually looked quite different. There weren't as many bedrooms, and it was so dark in here; dark furniture, dark window dressings, even the walls were almost black. It all worked together to make this house feel small and depressing. So before they opened, Harry and Ginny did some remodeling. They expanded the floorplan, adding an additional ten floors and thirty bedrooms, which they could only do with magic, and they completely redecorated. It took a long time, but the results were worth it. After two years of tricky spellcasting and expensive remodeling, they were finally able to open the doors to the R.J. Lupin House."

Percy led her from the living room and foyer to the dining room, which connected to the kitchen. There were several sets of matching tables and chairs, able to sit too many people for Amy to count.

They turned just slightly so the tables and chairs were on their left and they had a direct line of vision into the busy kitchen, where a woman with fiery red hair tied in a braid was stirring a pot while five teenagers helped set the tables.

"This is Ginny Potter, Harry's wife and my sister. And these are Mavis, Troy, Brad, Jordan and Michelle. They are all fifth years at Hogwarts now. Everyone, I'd like to introduce Miss Amethyst Rosewood."

Ginny perked up immediately. "Hello, Amy, dear! Welcome to the House. Lunch will be ready soon, why don't you go put your things away and tidy up? You’re in the second bedroom, third floor, bed number four. And we know you didn't bring a trunk and it's standard at Hogwarts so we got you one. It's already engraved with your name and waiting for you."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you, I'll do that."

Percy herded her out of the kitchen and down the hallway they had come in, then up the stairs.

"Exactly how large is each room?"

"Oh, pretty large but it doesn't feel like it. You'll be sharing your room each year with three other girls in your year, and there are three bedrooms on each floor. So your floor - the third floor - will house