Chapter 1

'Now, back to the latest news- Leah Ebony and the book that has upturned the English politics- A Person who Kicks Dogs.'

Leah pressed the power button on the remote. Only three days since A Person Who Kicks Dogs had been released, and the media and magazines were alive with joy at this new piece of juicy controversy. She'd also received hate letters from the politicians (serves them right) but she'd just sent all that paper off to be recycled. Though half of it, Kyle used to make paper planes and Zinc had ripped into pieces.

She was feeling scarily moody.

She'd just spent an hour arguing with her dad, because she wanted to take Zinc to Hogwarts. But of course, stupid Hogwarts was far too snooty to accept dogs. Or Alaskan Malamutes, even though they were practically HUMAN. They only accepted toads, cats and owls. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

She looked at the big grey wolf-like dog curled up at her feet, on the couch. He was only two years old. Leah groaned and wiped the tears she felt coming to her eyes. Zinc lumbered over her and licked her face, just as Kyle entered the room, eating crisps and string-cheese.

'Something wrong, Leah?' he asked, taking the remote from her.

She hugged Zinc and buried her face in the fur. 'I'm fine. Get out of here.'

Kyle pulled her hair.

'I was concerned, Leah!' he said, 'And this is how you repay me?'

'If you're concerned, why don't you do something to help?' she asked, her voice muffled.

She felt Kyle sit down. His cold feet touched hers. 'Help with what?'

'Zinc.' She said, 'Help me get Zinc into Hogwarts.'

She looked at her twin. They were both sixteen, with the same hair and the same colored eyes. Leah was two minutes older than Kyle. She was slim, with dark eyes and dark hair and didn't smile much. Most of the time she day-dreamed or spied, because she was an author. An actual one. And she wrote almost everything in a black leather-bound notebook she carried in her pockets.

Leah was paler than Kyle, because Kyle spent a lot of time outdoors- swimming, playing Quidditch or soccer, or riding one of the many horses they had. The only exercise Leah did was play ball with Zinc, or walk outside on their vast estate with him. Sometimes, Ian would force her to get on a broomstick or get into the pool.

But Ian was firm when it came to getting her into the pool or onto the broom. He didn't let her float around. He made her fly and swing batons at the Bludger or go after the snitch. He'd even showed her the Wronski Feint. She could now do it pretty well, though Kyle was amazing at it. He also made her swim properly, and sometimes he'd throw Zinc into the stream so that Zinc swam too.

It was because of Zinc Leah hadn't fallen off the broom and broken her neck. It was because of him she'd got the motivation to write her books (most of which were INTERNATION BESTSELLERS). And therefore, she was NOT leaving Zinc behind. It was like… like betraying Kyle, or Ian, or dad or Nanny… their mom had died seven years back, and Leah barely remembered her anymore.

She vaguely remembered a beautiful dark-haired lady, always dressed sensibly and smartly and modernly, beaming at her and kissing her goodnight and telling Kyle to lay off and stop annoying "poor Leah"… ah, good days… OK, they still were, because Dad beamed and her and kissed her goodnight and told Kyle to lay off and stop annoying her.

Only, now she was going to Hogwarts, where she did NOT want to go… She sucked at making friends… anyway, so Kyle was grinning now.

'I think I've got an idea…'