Katherine Sayre

Backstory

I was born in the early hours of Friday, January 16h in the year 1998 to Muggle/No-Maj parents and from that day on there was no hiding that I was gifted. I'm from the small county for Harlan which sits on the South-Eastern edge of Kentucky, near the Smokies.
My mother didn't want anything to do with me after finding out she was pregnant the summer after graduation and when my daddy begged for her to let me live she told him she was going to get rid me, eventually she relented but getting her to do anything for me that was an inconvenience to her was like pull'in teeth. After I was born the last thing she said to him was "I hope you like raising her your self 'cause she ain't never gonna have a mother" and she stormed out of his life for good. She was from a fairly well off family that expected her to marry before bringing a child into the world. Life doesn't ever work out like you plan for it to though. See, Momma and my father were childhood best friends turned high school sweethearts. Everyone expected they'd drive off into the sunset after graduation, happily ever after. Life had other plans for them both. She wanted to travel the county and he wanted to settle down. She never wanted to be attached to anyone and she was all he could think about. The day he proposed to her, she actually thought it was a joke, but when she looked down and saw a small half carat diamond ring that was his grandmother's she knew the pain she had just caused him by laughing at him but still was only concerned with her own embarrassment, accusing him of making a fool out of her. Her family refused to assist my father with raising me, saying that "It was your fault my little girl had to birth to that child in the first place". Even so, my father made sure my needs were met and I never did without, although he sacrificed a great deal for me he never once complained. I always knew I was a witch, and so did my dad. I would make the garden grow abnormally well even in the worst droughts. I tend to the animals like they were people because to me ever living thing deserved the same respect. I would have tea parties with the wood mice and forest creatures, and dance in the woods outside our little cabin, and in the winter I would string together snowflake to make a tiara out of them. Everything changed when I was seven. During this time America went into a horrible recession that caused my dad to lose money at the farmers market because people couldn't afford fresh vegetables or fruit no matter how low our prices went. Secretly I always blamed myself because of an incident that occurred when I was five and I was playing with some other children who didn't have magic. Bruce and Walter were very mean around this age and after pushing me down the hill into the mud while I was wearing a new dress my dad had bought me, then proceeded to laugh at me for being so clumsy, I was in a rage that I had never been in before, and all my life I was a calm person, but my Dad had worked so hard to earn the money he spent on my dress I couldn't take it.I lashed out at the boys and before I even realized I what I was doing I had already hung the boys from their breaches in the tree so high that if they feel they surely wouldn't make it. I ran to get help but when I came back the boys had fallen and broke three ribs and an arm each. They were only saved by the fact they fell in shrubbery while trying to swing to get free. They told their parents I was a witch and from that day on no one ever played with Kathy-the-evil-little-witch again. So, after two harvests with very little profit, my dad barely had enough to keep us fed and pay the rent for our land that he rented from the mayor's son, my mom's ex-boyfriend. The winter of my eleventh birthday he ended up getting very sick as did I. Having a strong immune system allowed me to recover easily but I still needed antibiotics, and although he was far iller than me and despite my furious protesting, he spent the last of our savings to get me the antibiotics the doctor recommended. After I was better I tried everything to help my dad get well again. I had been homeschool all my life but I was still very smart for my age and very observant. I had old book the library threw out that I collected and one of the was about alternative medicine. I tried for weeks but even though he seemed to improve it had come too late. His body went into septic shock and proceeded to organ failure. On his deathbed, my father told me about a story he heard from his grandmother ad a child, her name was Ava-Magnolia Sayre. He spoke of a castle that stood by a lake where people from all over came to study magic, I had heard it all before but one thing he never told me was that grandmother's sister was a witch a that studied at this castle in the Highlands of Scottland. I was skeptical, thinking these are the delusions of a dying man, but the more I thought about what I was able to do and the story he spoke of, it all began to fit together. As his eyes began to fade the last word he spoke to me were "The brightest lights shine in the darkest places, please promise me you'll never forget who you are and that you are stronger than you know." I promised him and with that, my father died on January 17th, 2009 at 12:01 AM. Because of what I did all those years ago people had been afraid to come around to my home, and so it was left to me to bury my father.
I knew the steps as morbid as that might sound for a seven-year-old, death never bothered me. Knowing that one day I'll see him again gave me enough comfort and the knowledge that he his no longer suffering gave me strength. I picked a wooded spot outside our cabin on protected land that I knew wouldn't become developed in the future and set to word making a grave plot and memorial for him. Afer which I packed up what little we had and checked every nook and cranny for anything that I might miss. I found an old chest that was filled with family memories from long ago. I packed it all up in my rucksack and headed for town. Shutting the door to my childhood home was one of the most painful moments in my life and that might not make sense to some people because my father had just died but the best way I could explain this is that over the last few weeks of his life I had been preparing myself for what knew was coming, and when he died I was simply numb because I had already been watching him slowly die for weeks. The moment I looked back on the only safe, warm, loving place I ever had that held my entire childhood, all I could feel was utter sorrow. For the first time in my life, I had no one to rely on, no shelter that I would know is safe, nothing to make me feel loved. Crazy as it may sound, that was when the full force of what had happened completely hit me. Everything I had left was on my back or in my trunk. As I walked to town not having any idea of what I would do next, I found this old dinner my dad would take me too back when times were good. I walked in and suddenly I remembered breakfast every first Saturday of the month hear and a warm buttery sweet short stack with a glass of chocolate milk. Fried eggs and the overwhelming smell of bacon filled my head with the sounds of my dad's silly puns and the smiley face he'd always make out of bacon, and the way he would put a slice of an orange in his mouth and smile at me like it was the funniest thing in the world. I was brought back to reality when the waitress asked if she could get me anything only to be shocked when she saw who I was. I explained everything to her and she said it must have been awful for me. I asked her where the bathroom was and went towards it when she shouted that she'd be right back with my food. After I was done I went to go back to my seat but I overheard something that made my blood run cold. The waitress was calling the cops to come have me taken to an orphanage. Now you might think this should be great news but I knew what happened to foster kids in my state so I had to make a choice and a very fast one. Looking back It was selfish and mean what I did but I knew the only way I'd ever find out what I am was to travel to that castle from my dad's story. Its just so happened that the mayor's son was sitting a few tables away and left to take a call. I went over and grabbed his wallet and stole a credit card and five hundred dollars. Bad I know, but I had nothing else to my name so what is an eleven-year-old to do?
I grabbed my stuff and snuck out to the nearest bus station a few miles away. I had enough to get a ticket to Chicago. When I arrived I already knew a few things about underground dealing and counterfeit documents that I figgered out where to go pretty quickly. Ready strange books really can pay off in ways you might never expect. I had bought some nice clothes, so people must have assumed I was some big wigs daughter. I had a pasport forgerd for me and a parent letter as to why I'm leaving the country alone. After staying a few nights in a nice motel I went to the airport and boarded a plane to London. If this castle is real surely there must be people like me out there, right? Since the story is set in Scottland what better place to start than London.
After arriving in London I was amazed by the similarities as well as differences, particularly the way people talked. I thought about how I was going to blend in a bit better. After a few months, I was walking down a street in London near Kingscrossing Station and saw something that was strange and save me, no one in the area seemed to see it. A small shop that look well ... magical. It was a cool August afternoon, and as I walked towards that door not having the foggiest idea of why I thought this was a good idea, after all, I had only survived this long by hiding and being sneaky so walking to an unknown place in the open was a little out of character for me. Regardless I went in and I couldn't believe my eyes. Magic was everywhere I was the most amazing sight ever, then I noticed the people staring at me as if I were lost, and in truth, I felt like I was. I went up to the barkeep and asked where I was. He shot me a funny look before coming to the conclusion that I was actually being serious. He explained the area and why I was able to see it when other Muggles didn't. He must've caught on to my American accent and corrected himself saying No-Maj instead. I was still befuddled and he asked if I understand anything he was talking about, and I shook my head. He gave a hearty chuckle and asked me about myself. I told him my story and he seemed to go quiet for a long time. I saw he was actually crying and told him that I okay and he doesn't need to worry about me. He asked if I had any place to stay and he offered me one of his spare rooms that weren't being used by guests. I accepted, grateful for an actual bed. he then went on to help me with my trunk and explained to me the truth behind my Grandmother's life. I was amazed and asked if I would be allowed into Hogwarts and he said the only way to know that is too ask the Headmistress. Later that day I thanked the kind man whose name is Neville Longbottom and he said that normally he is a Professor at Hogwarts but he is filling in for his wife while she is away visiting family. He told me that the room is mine for as long as I need and suggest I might start at Gringotts bank to see about getting some wizard currency. Now in my trunk, I had a small silver key that had a seal I'd never seen before. Mr. Longbottom showed me the door to access Diagonally, which I then processed to Gringotts Bank. The goblin inside took a look at the key and ask many questions about how I came to possess this key. I explained my Grandmother's story and he understood and took me to the Sayre family vault. The ride was long and I may have thrown up a few times but when we arrived, the goblin opened the vault to reveal the largest mountain of gold and silver I'd ever seen. You know those pictures in fairytale books of stories about large piles of gold and silver coins, they do not do the actual moment justice. I asked about what the currency was and he explained and suggested I take about 5,000 gold coins, called Galleons and 200, Stickles and 500 Knuts, then I asked about the artifacts in the vault and he explained that you can store other valuables as well. I asked if I may store a few of my belongings in her and he said because I am the only one to have claimed this vault in over 100 years and that I descended from the last remaining Sayre, that it now belongs to me and everything in it. He asked what name to list it under. Something you need to understand about my family is that before my dad, my Grandmother didn't take her husbands name and so my dad's name was James Alexandre Sayre. My name in full is Katherine Anastasia Sayre.
He filed the vault under my name and I gave him my information. From there I went down the shopping district figuring out where to go next. I spotted a shop that said Olivander's and was immediately drawn to it by a force I have no word to describe.
Upon entering a Mr. Olivander greeted me and asked my name, so I gave him my details and asked what wand would be best suited for me. He stated his famous words "The wand chooses the wizard (or witch in my case)."
I looked around when suddenly a box floated from the very black of the shop right to me. Stunned, but also interested I opened the box and saw a finely carved elegant but fiercely intimidating wand that looked over a thousand years old. I curled my fingers around it very gently not knowing if I might break it.I felt a warmth flow through my entire body from my head to my fingertips. I then waved the wand and a flurry of magic flowed out of it into a marvelous bird twice my size. By this point, Mr. Olivander was watching in the corner with a mixture of curiosity and awe. I asked him what just happened and he stated that I produced a Patronus. Inquiring further, he continued with an explanation that not only surprised me but scared me. If this is something that even the most advanced wizards have trouble with them how is it that I did it having had no prior training? He said that he didn't know and that maybe it was a sign that I am a powerful witch, I told him that it scares me and he chuckled lightly and said: "Well, at least I know you aren't power hungry". He then told me about my wand, an American import dated back to the 1800's made in Maryland. The wood is a combination of equal parts Yew, Elder, Ceder, Fir, Cherry, Ironwood, and Ebony. The was something he had never seen or heard of in his many years of Wandlore study. The core or cores I should say are twined together, A basilisk fang, Thunderbird tail feather, and unicorn mains hair. Again something he'd never seen before. 12 and 1/2 inches, unyielding.
I paid for my wand and before I left I asked Mr. Olivander what bird was it that I made, he replied with "Thunderbird, Ms. Sayre" and smiled as he went back to his work. From here I went through every shop getting what supplies I was told would be needed at Hogwarts. I finally got up the nerve to write the Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall. I asked may things and most of all if I would be allowed to attend after explaining my past in the letter. I went to the Post in the alley to mail the letter and asked how long would it take to arrive. The worker stated a few hours at most. I tried to sleep but knowing that my future hangs in the balance, it didn't sleep very well at all. The next I was given a letter by owl at my windows and was so nervous I might explode.
The headmistress greeted me warmly in her letter something I wasn't expecting and said that normally only those written in the Book of Acceptance are allowed to Hogwarts but after long discussion with the Minister and other professors as well as Professor Longbottom testimony on your behalf, we all agree you would be a fine addition to Hogwarts. She gave me a list of instructions and supplies to gather most of which I already had. I was over the moon with joy. I began the train ride to Hogwarts at Kings Cross Station, trying in vain to find the bloody platform. I saw a family approach me and ask if I was attending Hogwarts this year and I said yes, the father smiled and said "Don't worry I didn't know how to get on my first year as well" Then directed me to the platform entrance. Now normally running head first into a wall wouldn't make any sense but hey it's the magical logical. I sat with a boy named Teddy Lupin, from the family before and we talked for hours about everything. Unlike most who, once they know my story, give me a look of pity, he just looked at me with understanding and respect. After arriving, we proceeded to what was called the sorting ceremony, and I waited for my turn. Now Teddy and I talked about what housed we'd want to be in and I said that I didn't care as long as I felt safe and like I belonged there. He went before me and was sorted to Gryffindor, who all cheered like a soft roar. finally, my name was called and I nervously walked up to the stool, smiling at the Headmistress as a silent "thank you" for granting me this opportunity. I sat down and listened as the hat spoke to me. He marveled at my past and my intellect but also at my ambition to prove myself. After 30 long minutes of back and forth, he finally asked me "Which house do you want to be in" I looked over at Teddy and smiled at him but then something to the right called to me and I look to Slytherin. Thining about there past maybe I could change the stereotype for the better, the hat seemed to know my choice and shouted "SLYTHERIN!"
Teddy smiled and clapped for me but when I looked back at the Headmistress her smile seem to falter and for a brief moment I thought I might have disappointed her. I made my way over to the Slytherin table and sat amongst the other first years.
After that, the years went by quicker than you might have imagined and over the years I found my calling in Potions and Herbology, even joining the famous Slug Club, at Professor SLughorns request. I took my O.W.Ls and received Outstandings in DADA, Potions, Herbology, History, Muggles Studies, Transfigurations, Charms, Study of Ancient Ruins, and Care of Magical Creatures. I received the same NEWTs as well.
I took a job as a Hit Witch during the summer of my sixth year of a bit of extra money, because although I had plenty I wanted to save as much as possible.
I completed my seventh year of study at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in June of 2015, and the day of graduation I approached Headmistress McGonagall and talked to her about my journey at Hogwarts. I asked her if she was ever disappointed at the fact I was sorted into Slytherin. She told me that she was proud of me because I set a new stand for muggle-borns everywhere by being one of the first to be in Slytherin. I am proof that the school and wizard community is evolving past old prejudice into new acceptance and open-mindedness. Since that day, Teddy and Professor Longbottom and I still remain good friends and always in close contact. I even meet Mr. Harry Potter while visiting Teddy a few summers ago.
For the past few years, I am back in America working on some research into a treatment for Dragon Pocks and visiting an old forest that has long been forgotten.
Sometimes I think about my mother and wonder if she is out there somewhere thinking about me, and would she ever know who I am, the women that her little girl has grown up to be. I sometimes look in the mirror and all I can see are her green eyes and face looking back at me, like straight out of the pictures of her dad had shown me. I can never forgive her for abandoning my father and for abandoning me. Is forgiveness such a simple word right? Its something so hard to do though, when you've been hurt. Sometimes I stop to wonder, if she ever saw me again, what would she say to me if anything at all.
Well, I think that just about sums up my life story. Sorry for rambling on, but once I start it can be hard to stop.

A few fun facts about me:
- I am a Capricorn
- I share a birth month with Teddy Lupin and Severus Snape
- I was born the same year Tome Marvolo Riddle aka Lord Voldemort was defeated
- My favorite color is Forest Green
- My favorite non-magical animal is a tire between a Wolf and a Snake.
- My favorite magical creatures are: Thunderbird, Unicorns, Acromatulas, Dragons, and Horned Serpent
- My Patronus is a Thunderbird, but it can also appear as a Basilisk
- My animal companion is a Python named Balthazar (you can't imagine how hard it was to get the Headmistress to allow him)