Hello, dear reader! Thank you for taking the time to check out this fic! This is a fem!Harry story, so if that isn't your cup of tea, then you have been warned. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter. The only thing I own is Jamie Potter.

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

As she stared into the darkness that surrounded her on all sides, the young girl who lived in the house at number 4 Privet Drive thought, as she usually did during long hours spent in the dark. She thought, not for the first time, of her parents, both of whom felt more like characters from a story than her mother and father; of the looming summer holidays, and of which hiding places she would use to escape her cousin and his gang; and, with a venomous scowl, of how much she absolutely, unequivocally hated being locked up in the cupboard under the stairs, which had been the only bedroom she'd ever known.

Her mind's wanderings, however, were merely a distraction — or a feeble attempt at one — from the painful rumblings of her stomach, which had not been filled for some time. She had never been shut up in her cupboard for so long before, and since she'd only last eaten the previous day at lunchtime, she was dreadfully hungry.

Though she longed to sneak into the kitchen and swipe even the tiniest bit of food from one of the cabinets, she didn't dare. Her aunt and uncle were already angrier than she'd ever seen them before; stealing a midnight snack, however necessary it was, would only make things worse for her.

She didn't even understand why she was being punished. Despite what Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon thought, she had no idea how the glass at the zoo had disappeared. Plus, even if she'd had anything to do with it — which she swore she didn't — it wouldn't have been her fault. Whenever something strange or unusual happened, it was always because of her cousin, Dudley. Dudley would push her, torment her, chase after her, and something strange would happen, something she couldn't explain to her aunt and uncle, and then she would find herself shut up in her cupboard once again.

If there was anything she hated more than that stupid, dark, spider-infested cupboard, it was her aunt, uncle, and cousin. Though she had vied for their affection and love when she was younger, she was far less naive now — she knew they would never accept her, let alone love her. All three of them were just a bunch of bullies.

As she slowly slipped into sleep's embrace, Jamie Potter wished, with everything she had, for a chance — a chance to escape from the Dursleys, a chance to change her awful life in the cupboard under the stairs.

Little did she know how quickly that chance would arrive.

The summer holidays were supposed to be a fun time for children. There was no school, no homework, and no obligation, just hours of time to spend playing outside with friends.

For Jamie, however, summer meant chores, running from Dudley's gang, and roaming the neighborhood to avoid her relatives.

Though this was the same routine as the summer before, that didn't make Jamie any less lonely. She had no friends to play with — everyone was too scared of Dudley to befriend his strange cousin — and she knew the mothers at the park would never see past her ratty old hand-me-down clothes to let their children play with her.

Jamie had a feeling that this summer was going to be the worst one yet; that is, until the letter arrived, and her life took a very unexpected turn.

The day had started like any other. Jamie woke to the sound of Aunt Petunia rapping on the door to the cupboard, ordering her to get up and start making breakfast. Uncle Vernon sat at the table reading his newspaper, hardly looking up when Jamie walked into the room. Dudley came thundering down the stairs, knocking his bloody Smeltings stick against everything, including Jamie's shins.

Jamie had just sat down to eat her breakfast when they all heard the mailman deliver the day's mail.

"Mail's here!" Dudley informed them, as if they hadn't heard the click of the mail slot.

Uncle Vernon grumbled from behind his newspaper for Dudley to go retrieve it, but when the spoiled brat demanded that Jamie get the mail, Vernon barked at his niece to do it instead.

Jamie, not wanting to cause a fight so early in the morning, reluctantly set down her bacon and got up without a word. She hated how complacent she was, willing to follow whatever her aunt and uncle made her do, but it was either do what they said, or end up in the cupboard again, something she was not looking to repeat. Bending down to grab the mail, Jamie began plotting ways to get revenge on Dudley.

All thoughts of revenge, however, quickly left her mind as she began sifting through the small pile of letters and bills. There were two bills for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, a postcard from Vernon's sister Marge, and a letter addressed to Jamie.

Astonished, Jamie brushed her bright red bangs away from her eyes, trying to make sure she'd read that right. But there it was, clear as day — Ms. J Potter, the cupboard under the stairs. Jamie stared at the letter in disbelief; she never received mail. Maybe this was a prank, a joke from the Dursleys to make her life even more miserable. The Dursleys didn't like jokes, though. They discouraged anything creative or out of the regular routine.

"What on earth is taking so long?" Uncle Vernon shouted from the kitchen, making Jamie jump. "I haven't got all day, you know!"

Thinking quickly, Jamie took her letter from the pile of mail and shoved it in the crack under her cupboard door. She knew whatever it was, the Dursleys would take it from her immediately, and she wouldn't be able to read what it said.

Once she was sure the letter was safely tucked away, Jamie made her way back into the kitchen and handed her uncle the mail, her thoughts back in her cupboard for the rest of the meal. She wondered who the letter could be from, since she had no friends and no other relatives.

Normally, Jamie hated the list of chores Aunt Petunia made her do every day, as they were often long, boring, and dirty. While Dudley would sit around in the air-conditioned house playing video games or go to a friend's house, Jamie would be pulling weeds, mowing the lawn, or washing the car, covered in sweat and longing for a bit of water. Today, however, she didn't mind her chores; they gave her plenty of time to think about the letter.

Thoughts of the letter stayed with her as she sat by herself in the park, deliberately ignoring the neighborhood mothers as they sneered at her baggy hand-me-down shirt from Dudley and her pants (also from Dudley) that were so big they trailed after her when she walked. The whole thing was very unusual, she decided, playing with her long red hair to pass the time.

She decided this because whoever had sent the letter had chosen a rather odd time to do it. If it was some long lost relative that she hadn't known existed, they had waited an awful while to send her a letter, seeing as she had been living with the Dursleys for nearly a decade, ever since her parents died when she was a baby.

At the thought of her parents Jamie grew dejected. She had never known them, and she wished she could learn more about them. But Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had forbidden her from asking any questions about anything, especially her parents. It was for this reason that Jamie hoped, however unlikely, the letter was from one of her parents' friends, because then, she imagined, they could tell everything she never knew about her mum and dad.

That day, Jamie was sure, had to have been one of the longest ever. The minutes and hours seemed to stretch on and on, leaving Jamie anxious and impatient as she waited for the end to come. All she wanted as she sat through Aunt Petunia's awful dinner was to sneak into her cupboard, rip open the letter, and find answers to the questions that had been bothering her all day.

Only after Jamie had cleared the table, wrapped the leftovers, and washed the dishes did Uncle Vernon absentmindedly wave her away and send her to bed while he and Dudley watched television and Petunia spied on the neighbors.

Trying not to look too eager, Jamie slowly walked to the cupboard, opened the door, and shut herself inside. Finally, she had her chance to see what this was all about. Very carefully, so as not to alert her relatives to what she was doing, Jamie used her nail to pop open the seal on the back of the envelope and shook the letter out as quietly as she could. Since the Dursleys were still awake, there was just enough light coming into the cupboard for Jamie to read what was written.

Dear Ms. Potter, we are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Witchcraft and wizardry… If Jamie was accepted to this school for witches and wizards, did that mean that she was…

"A witch," she whispered in amazement, before clamping a hand over her mouth. She strained her ears to make sure the Dursleys hadn't heard her; they were laughing obnoxiously at the television, and Jamie let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

It had to be a mistake, though. There was no way Jamie could be a witch. Witches were supposed to be brilliant and powerful and Jamie was neither of those.

But the more she considered it, her being a witch put into perspective many of the strange occurrences in her life — especially how the glass at the zoo had disappeared. Despite her initial uncertainty, Jamie actually began to grow excited at the thought of being a witch.

With renewed enthusiasm, Jamie looked at the second piece of paper that was in the envelope: a list of supplies that she would need for school.

As quickly as it came, her excitement faded. Everything on that list would cost an awful lot of money — money that Jamie didn't have — and she had no doubts that the Dursleys would never pay for any of it. Plus, she had no idea where to purchase many of the items on the list. Though she had never been there, she didn't think she would be able to find a magic wand or a cauldron at one of the shops in London.

Jamie sighed, defeated. What could she do? There was no way she would ask the Dursleys for any help, they would only laugh in her face. And she had no one else to go to for advice.

Or maybe she did.

Eyes falling on the first page of the letter, Jamie was suddenly struck with an idea. Perhaps someone at the school could help her, if she could only figure out a way to ask them.

Welcome to the end of chapter! Glad you made it this far.

This is my first fanfic ever and I'm very excited about it! I'd really appreciate if you could leave a review for me, if you wouldn't mind. Thanks!