Hi everyone, I'm back with a new story. This one is different as starts off at another Wizarding School and covers the other schools take on the second Wizarding War. But I promise by the end of the first part it will tie in with the Hogwarts Characters. Hope you like it x & leave your thoughts!

Disclaimer: The Wizarding World belongs to the brilliant JK Rowling.

Also, this was written and published way before any information on Ilvermorny was released x (3/23/17 update)

Chapter One

Few people can say they have managed to escape death once, but not many can say they have escaped death twice. After a potions mishap and muggle car accident, I somehow managed to survive. Luck was on my side those days, yet it was only on my side. The car accident took two loved ones from me. It was hard to see myself as lucky. As I prepared to begin my sixth year at Salem Academy of Sorcery, I continuously reminded myself not to take my luck for granted. The Wizarding World has drastically changed over the past year. What we believed to be ancient history was back. Around the time I was born a war broke out in the Wizarding World. A dark wizard, whose name I was told to never speak, gained power. He abused that power for all of the wrong reasons, resulting in the death of hundreds. My father rarely spoke of it but I learned about it in school. The war took place over in Europe, mainly in the United Kingdom. The United States Ministry was uninvolved for the first part of the war, but as it got worse they  had to join in.

At the end of my fifth year an announcement was made. That dark wizard was officially back. Rumors spread at the end of the first war that he truly didn't die and that he would be back, but there was no evidence. A group of young students at Hogwarts were the ones to reveal the truth, nearly resulting in death. Harry Potter was a name we heard often. Over the past few years he was always appearing in the newspaper, but students here were always talking about the rumors they heard. Although none of us knew him personally, we learned of his parents history and knew of him growing up. We were the same age. Throughout the course of my fifth year, our newspaper was constantly putting a bad light on Harry and the Hogwart's Headmaster Dumbledore. The two claimed that Dark Wizard was back, but their ministry and our ministry put them down. In the end, Harry and Dumbledore proved everyone wrong.

Now the Wizarding World was living in fear, especially those over in the United Kingdom. If History does repeat itself, it means no one is safe. Wizards from all over the world got involved in the last one, I can hardly imagine how many would be involved this time now that they have an idea of how powerful this dark wizard could be. My already protective dad was wary of me going back to Salem this year. I assured him it was safe to be in the magically protected academy. He didn't like the idea, but knew I had a point. My father, Bernie Willis, worked in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. His Department has drastically changed over the past few months, knowing that if situations get too out of hand, they will have to step in to fight as well. Lately he has been looking anxious, tired, and worrisome. He's been trying his best to put on a good face around me and has rarely told me anything he's learned from work. But in the end, after my hours of pestering, he always shared a little information with me.

After the car accident, my father moved us out to the Pennsylvania country side. We traded in our New York City townhouse for a small old-fashioned farm house. I was young when we moved. Although my father had no design skills whatsoever, I did love our cozy home. The inside was old-fashion with bright cherry tree walls, narrow hallways, and steep steps. The yard was enormous and often filled with wild animals. It was much quieter than our town house, but I was so young when we left it was an easy adjustment.

After zipping my bag shut, I left my room and went down the steps that lead into the dining area. My dark haired father was sitting at the wooden table scanning the newspaper with a steaming cup of coffee at his side. His brows were furrowed as he read the page with a look of worry. When he noticed I entered the room, his face immediately softened. "Good morning Bradley. What are you doing up so early?" he asked with a kind smile.

"Forgot to shut the curtains again," I answered. "The sun woke me up." I took a seat across from him, he already had bagels and fruit on the table. My father wasn't much of a cook so this was as good breakfast as could get. While helping myself to the food I asked, "What are you reading?"

"Oh nothing important," he replied. I knew he was lying, so I gave him my usual look in response. "Just another...incident."

"What is it this time?" I pressed. He didn't want me to worry, but I was old enough to know these things.

"Another attack," he sighed. "On the muggles this time." My eyes widened, muggles were being brought into this? "The Death Eaters attacked a muggle bridge in London. Several deaths. Hard for the Ministry to cover up. It's getting out of hand quickly."

"Attacking muggles..." I repeated in shock. "Do you think your department will be stepping in soon?"

"In time, yes," he replied quietly. It's been a difficult year for him at the office, but it has also been hard in other ways. A month ago we got the news that his brother Hayward Willis was missing. My father and uncle grew up as the best of friends, but after my potions incident they fell apart. Hayward had an extensive knowledge of potions, yet he was absolutely reckless. He was the last one left at the lab one night, the janitor left before him and that was the last time he was ever seen. I knew my father worried, after all Hayward was his brother.

"So how is everyone at work?" I said attempting to change the subject, yet that was hard to do considering almost everything in our life related to what was going on.

"Everyone is on edge, most are handling it well," he replied. "Some better than others," he added with a bit of a roll to his eyes. I knew exactly who he was talking about, his cousin Cal Beckingham. My father came from a pureblood family where not everyone shared the same views. My father was more optimistic, whereas Cal was a 'traditional' pureblood. My father was happy with a simple life. Cal wanted power, money, and success. He was the Senior Undersecretary for the Minister of Magic here in the USA. He was very competitive with my simple father growing up, and now they worked together. The Beckingham's were loaded with money and made sure everyone knew it. We did the best to avoid them, but it was difficult in such a small world. Especially since he had a daughter in my year, Selina.

"Cal isn't worried about this all, is he?" I assumed. My father shook his head. The Beckingham's probably assumed because they were rich and pureblooded, that they had nothing to worry about. Didn't they realize that if this war began everyone would be affected?

"Enough about that though," my father replied going back to the soft look on his face. "I took the day off of work today since you're going back to school tomorrow. Why don't you finish packing and then the two of us can go to Old Salem Village to buy you some new supplies?" My father only took one sick day off each year, the day before I went back to school.

"That sounds perfect," I responded quickly finishing my breakfast and then heading back upstairs to get my things settled.

My father apparated us to Old Salem Village. Salem, Massachusetts was a historic town on it's own. It was known throughout the muggle world as a town associated with witchcraft.The muggles had no idea of the secret wizard village that existed within. At the times of the witch hunting, the real witches managed to escape by creating a village hidden from the muggles. The entrance was down an old brick alleyway and through an old scary looking little shop that muggles very rarely visited. Once we passed through the door, the village was in sight. I loved when I got the chance to visit. Many times on weekends, the school allowed us to travel over since it was so close. Old Salem Village was even larger than Diagon Alley. I visited Diagon Alley once with my father on a business trip over the summer. The two were similar yet Old Salem Village was much larger and had houses, several different restaurants, hotels, and shops. Due to it's history, it was a hot wizard tourist spot. "Where to first?" my father asked me looking around.

"There are a few books I need," I told my father. Whenever I had free time I would always read, even muggle books. We went straight to Alesway's Bookshop. We passed by a chattering group of students wearing Salem Academy sweatshirts.

"Do you know them?" my father asked me. I nodded. "Well why didn't you say hi?" he asked. I was like my father in the way that I kept to myself. I was quiet and happy with the friends I had. It wasn't that I wasn't friendly, I just preferred keeping to myself. 

"I don't really know them well," I replied with a shrug as we entered the stores. The three floor book store was like heaven. Books were organizing themselves, flying from shelf to shelf. Unfortunately it was busy, but at least I knew which sections I wanted to check out. "I'll be quick," I said to my father turning and rushing to the third floor. The first floor was mainly the core academic books which I had already ordered. The third level had the more specific books. I needed them for my electives. 

Since I was a sixth year, I got three electives. Well technically two, but I asked if I could fill my free period with one. I managed to get into the three classes I wanted: Medical Studies: Wizard and Muggle Approaches, Advanced Mythical Creatures, and Ancient Archaeology. After finding the required books I met my father at the register. Being so unfortunately short and unable to reach the shelves, it took me longer than it should have to get my books. My father wouldn't have been much help though as he was a short man himself. Next we stopped at Emvafland's Apothecary to purchase a new cauldron and a few ingredients I would be needing. We were quick. I knew it reminded my father of Hayward.

"Do you need any new clothes?" my father asked. I was never into shopping for clothes, I usually got overwhelmed by all the options and was too indecisive to chose anything in the end. Any time I went clothes shopping it was with my best friend Idella. I let her pick out everything for me. Yet I did need a new pair of robes, mine were getting a tad bit ratty.

"I actually do need a new set of robes," I told him and he nodded. I haven't really grown since fourth year, so I managed to keep the same pair for the past two years. Being only five foot one, I never outgrew my clothes. We headed over to Bliznea's Stitchery.

As we entered I heard the very familiar outspoken voice and cringed, it was too late to turn around as the bell rang. Standing in the middle of the room was my spoiled blonde cousin Selina. Once again she was overly dressed, wearing a long sleeve tight fitting black dress. With double the amount of bags on each hand, she turned at the sound of the door. Her face formed a false smile. Great.

"Long time no see," she said coolly. Her friends standing near her turned to look at me with cold expressions. I should have predicted we would see her. The Beckingham family mansion was right on the Salem coast.

"Ah Selina," my father said kindly. "How nice to see you." He knew that Selina and I did not get along, but he was always polite. I for one said nothing. "Are your parents around?" he questioned. She shook her head.

"Father's at work and my mother stayed home," Selina responded sounding bored.

"Have you heard anything from Sofia?" my father asked. Selina's face immediately darkened. Sofia was her twenty year old sister, who was studying Sea Creatures in Scotland. Everyone in the family knew Sofia was the golden child of that family. She excelled at school and got a ministry assignment to study in Scotland. Selina was more on the unmotivated academic side. Their father Cal was always working so it was hard to tell if he had a favorite child, but their mother Maxine made it very clear that Sofia was her prize. Selina and Maxine were always fighting, especially at family gatherings. No one at school knew about their tense relationship though, Selina made sure I kept it that way. "You know, since she's in Scotland and all..." my father added. Sofia was right in the area of the danger.

"Who knows," Selina responded with a care free shrug. "Well we better get moving," Selina called to her friends. "Pleasure seeing you again," she said to my father as she passed. "See you tomorrow," she added coolly to me. I gave her a dry smile in response as she passed through the doorway with her jam packed bags.

"Interesting girl," my father said after Selina left and I smiled at that. We continued shopping for another hour but the two of us got sick of it quickly. We ended the day the day with lunch at the Dungeon Diner and apparated back home so I could prepare to go to Idella's.

Please leave comments x To your right is how I imagined Bradley!