Begin Again

Chapter 3

MAJOR TIME SKIP

Saturday, June 19, 1976

Stephanie was getting ready to head back home. Fourth year had officially ended the day before and now it was time for the summer break to begin. She couldn't wait to see her parents and her brothers again. Cole, Damian, Damon, and Atlas had already graduated and Will had graduated a few days ago.

In a couple of months, she would only return with Lorenzo and Matthew who would be starting their seventh year and with Chris who would start his sixth year.

Stephanie and Hermione finished getting ready in their dorms before heading down to the common room to meet the boys. Stephanie's snowy owl, Athena, was in her cage while Hermione carried her cat, Crookshanks.

The five teenagers went to eat breakfast at the Great Hall before heading to Hogsmeade Station to board the Hogwarts Express. They were excited to be able to hang out together without the troubles of dealing with school work.

They had been living with Stephanie and her family even since their first year. Stephanie invited them, with her parents' permission, to her house for Christmas break and they all got along well.

Once the school year was coming to an end, Harry, Luke, Ron and Hermione realized they had nowhere to live for the summer break. They had lied to Stephanie, telling her that they had gotten kick out of the orphanage once they received their Hogwarts letters which is why they couldn't go back to live there.

Stephanie had immediately owled her parents, begging them to let her friends stay with them as they had no where else to go and her parents easily agreed.

Rhaenyra and Alexander Thornhart had always wanted a big family, and they did have one. After having so many sons, they wanted a daughter and their wish was granted once Stephanie was born. They would always welcome any kids who needed help with open arms, ready to comfort them.

The Thornhart Manor was huge so there was no problem for more people to move in. The Manor had 18 bedrooms and 22 bathrooms. Each Thornhart child had their own bedroom while the parents shared the master bedroom.

The house elves that worked for the Thornhart's shared a bedroom, as they wanted to share a bunk bed. They were brothers, Twinkle, the oldest and Wrinkle, the youngest. They were free eleves that worked for the Thornhart's out of loyalty rather than being forced to.

Even though there was four remaining rooms, enough for her friends to have their own room, they refused to use them. The boys shared a room, something they said they preferred while Hermione shared a room with Stephanie.

Both of the girls were more than thrilled about this as they didn't have any sisters of their own. Stephanie had always wished for a sister and she found that in Hermione. They told each other everything. Whether it was about boys, music, crushes, homework, or personal problems, they always went to each other.

Or to Lily Evans. The older witch became like an older sister to the two girls. They first met a couple of days after they started their first year and immediately Lily had taken them under her wing.

The trio had found a new sense of girlhood between them.

A sisterhood.

There was now about five hours left before they arrived at King's Cross, so Stephanie decided now was the time to go say her goodbyes to two of her best friends.

Regulus and Barty quickly became some of her closest friends, so much so that the girl saw them as her younger brothers.

They couldn't hang out in public as some of Regulus' cousins, Bellatrix, or other Slytherins wouldn't hesitate to tell his parents.