//------------------------------//
// Accidents and Explanations 
// Story: School of Wizardry and Ponies 
// by Ranoa- Walker of Worlds 
//------------------------------//

	 A feeling of dread filled Harry Potter’s being as he started off Platform Nine and three-quarters. It had been a very eventful first year for the young wizard. Ever since the giant of a man Hagrid came knocking on the door in the middle of a stormy night almost a year ago. It was that night that changed his life forever. 
He learned how his birth parents had died protecting him and about the man who had killed them, Voldemort. He made his first real friend in Ron Weasley and helped to save his second friend Hermione Granger from a Mountain Troll. He flew on a broom, and become the key player for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He learned who Nicolas Flamel was and what the Philosopher’s Stone was. He had seen a dead unicorn and ridden on the back of a centaur. He faced a three headed dog, a killer plant, chased after flying keys, played a giant game of chess, watched a brilliant witch solve a deadly game of logic, all to come face to back of face with the shade of Voldemort. Only to leave triumphant on a stretcher, preventing the return of the Dark Lord. All in all, not bad for a skinny eleven-year-old with bad eye sight and messy hair.
Despite all that had been done in the last several months he still had to go back to his relatives. From Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to Number Four Privet Drive and the Dursley family. It was in this fact that he found dread.
The Dursley family were very hostile towards Harry. They often threatened him, starved him, allowed his cousin Dudley to bully him, and were in the top twenty on the Board of Decent People’s most wanted list for various offences including unpleasantness and for being general nuisances. There was also the fact that they hated magic and anything related to it, calling the ability “unnatural” and “freakish.” 
The only hope that Harry had for a halfway decent summer break was the fact that they also feared what Harry could do with what he learned with a year of wizarding school under his belt. Of course if the Dursleys ever called his bluff he could look forward to greater mistreatment than ever before.
With fake resolution, Harry headed for where he was sure he could find the Dursley’s car. Looking around the pickup area he could see no sign of his Uncle’s car.
‘Perhaps they decided to let me find my own way back.’ Harry thought. That thought was quickly dashed when a woman in her middle ages approached him. She had a very down to business air about. Her black skirt, white blouse, and black jacket solidified the look of professionalism. In her hand she held a piece of paper which she kept checking as she was walking up to him.
“Harry Potter?” She asked him when she was right in front of him. Her voice was very caring, a sharp contrast to the strict voice that he expected from a woman in such an attire.
“Yes?” The woman held her hand out for Harry to shake it,
“I’m Marisa Sanders, I am with Child Welfare Services.” Confusion filled Harry as she shook Marisa’s hand, “I’m here to take you to your temporary home until your cousins can come and pick you up.”
“What? Has something happened to the Dursleys? What cousin?” It was Mrs. Sanders turn to look confused.
“Were you not informed by your deputy headmistress about what happened your aunt and uncle? We sent several letters all of which she responded to.”
“I was not told anything.” Sanders shook her head and frowned,
“Harry, I’m afraid there has been a terrible accident.”
Those words haunted Harry all the way to the sleek black car where Harry’s luggage and feathery friend Hedwig were loaded in and they were on their way. Once they were on the road Mrs. Sanders started to explain from the driver seat,
“Three months ago your aunt and uncle were driving home from a late night out. Blood tests showed both were under the influence. Vernon drove off a bridge and they both ended up in a river.”
Harry couldn’t believe what he was hearing,
“Are they…”
“They are still alive. After they were fished out of the river there was an investigation and did you know what was found?”
“No,”
“Several years of complaints from your primary school teachers in regards to your care on record.”
“Wait, someone reported all of that? I thought it was all ignored.”
“It wasn’t just one of your teachers Harry. At least five different teachers and seven faculty members filed concerned reports to the administration, but for some reason or another many were either lost or destroyed. A few of them did make it through to my office.” Mrs. Sanders shook her head sadly,
“How my office missed them I do not know, but the situation has been rectified. Your home was investigated and we… we found the cupboard under the stairs.” Mrs. Sanders shook the betraying emotions from her eyes and voice,
“Bottom line, they were declared unfit to care for you or your cousin Dudley. Currently they await your testimony for conviction. If you want, we can record your statement for the court so you don’t have to face them ever again.”
“That would be nice.” Harry said still having a hard time believing what he was hearing. 
“Now in most cases you would be placed with your next of kin. Your aunt Marge Dursley was contacted and agreed to take care of Dudley but utterly refused to take you in.” A frustrated groan escaped her mouth, “This is strictly between us but she is one of the most unpleasant people I have ever met.”
“It runs in the family.” Harry accidentally thought aloud. No chastisement came from his comment but Mrs. Sanders continued her previous train of thought,
“Anyways, we did some searching and found some living relatives from your mother’s side. They are your cousins who live in America. They are both the head administration at a school. They agreed to take you in.”
A stone dropped in Harry’s stomach. America? He was going to have to move to America? He was going to move away from Hogwarts? From Ron, Hermione, Hagrid, everybody? Did they even have a magical education system in the States? 
“Now the deputy headmistress of the school you attended this year, Hogwarts was it? Well, she provided our office with a list of sister schools in the states that are willing to accept your enrollment so you can have your choice of schools if you do not want to attend your cousins’ institution.”
“So what are my cousins’ name?”

“Thank you all for another wonderful year and for those of you returning in September the members of the faculty hope you have a wonderful summer.” An auditorium of high school students broke into applause at their vice principal’s concluding words. Most of the student of Canterlot High School were extremely excited for their summer vacation. Plans were being made for pool parties, camping trips, and other summer activities that sounded enjoyable at the time. There was a group of friends however that took notice of their Head Principal’s absence.
There was the sporty Rainbow Dash, the agrarian Applejack, the animal loving Fluttershy, the fabulous Rarity, the energetic Pinkie Pie, the former student of Crystal Prep Twilight Sparkle, and the resident dimensional immigrant Sunset Shimmer. Now one would think that this was just a ragtag group of assorted friends of various backgrounds. However, they do suffer the sad reality that they seemed to be the go to for whatever crazy stuff goes on at the school. What sort of crazy stuff? Turns out the statue in front of the school is actually a dimensional portal to another world. And whenever problems from the other side decided to make problems it was this group of growing friends that had to deal with it.
It was this fact that this group of students had to maintain a degree of vigilance for anything out of the ordinary. In the shadow of the statue the group decided to talk about Principal Celestia’s absence,
“I mean it could be nothing, but Principal Celestia would never leave her sister to handle the end of the year by herself.” Rainbow Dash commented.
“You’re quite right darling,” Rarity with her dignified tone added, “Besides, Principal Celestia never misses a day at the school if she could manage it.”
“I haven’t received anything from Princess Twilight regarding any recent threats from Equestria making their way here.” Sunset Shimmer said looking up from her magical journal, “So it could be an old threat like the Dazzlings that are just now cropping up.”
“Um, Ah know that it’s our responsibility to deal with potential threats and all but Ah’m thinking this may not have to do with our friends in Equestria.” The down to earth southern voice of Applejack intervened. 
There had been more than one occasion where a perceived threat turned out to be nothing. Such as when half the school didn’t show up one day. The girls had jumped the gun and thought that some kind of shadow being had come through the portal to wreak havoc. Turned out to be the Flim- Flam brothers and their latest venture into high money making business, the Taco Wagon. The students were home with cases of food poisoning, the brothers were summoned by the health board to a hearing, and the girls had shamefully learned that just because there is magic doesn’t mean that magic is the source of the problem.
“Well we could ask Vice Principal Luna what’s going on.” Twilight Sparkle suggested.
“Indeed you could.” A much more mature voice interrupted their conversation. The seven girls looked up at the top of the stairs and were surprised to see their Vice Principal standing there. Her usual professional posture and somewhat imposing demeanor were lost right now, she seemed rather tired, sad even.
“Vice Principal Luna, is everything alright?” The caring Fluttershy asked. The darker of the two administrative sisters shook her head,
“My sister and I are going through some family related issues. It seems our favorite cousin back in England, Tiger Lily, passed away eleven years ago, and no one told us.” This brought general shock to all the girls present,
“Oh dear,” Fluttershy whimpered.
“You had family in England?” Rarity’s eyes widened. Yes, she was sad for her principal but her mind also was distracted by the fashions that could be found in London… it was Rarity’s attention deficit moment for the day.
“Still do, my older cousin and her family.”
“Wait, Tiger Lily?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Well, her real name was just Lily. However, she earned the nick name Tiger Lily because she could get quite ferocious when she wanted to.” Luna recounted, bringing a smile to her face. “We lost contact with her after we received a wedding announcement to a lord of all people.”
“So what happened?” Twilight asked.
“The authorities don’t know how they died, apparently there was no investigation, no attempt at informing the next of kin no nothing. The only thing that happened was the placement of their one-year-old child.” 
If the news of family in England was a shocker this was an absolute bomb shell. It is always sad when family dies, but even worse when a child is left without their parents.
“He was left with our older cousin, Petunia, but recently there have been some… issues with her qualifications to raise her own child let alone foster Tiger Lily’s.”
“Wait, you mean they…”
“As far as I know Petunia never laid a hand on him. That does not mean that she treated him with any kindness or decency. I hope you keep this quiet but an investigation discovered that she forced Lily’s child to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs for nearly ten years.” At this Rarity swooned and was caught by Applejack who helped the dramatic fashionista back to her feet,
“My goodness, what kind of person does that to a child, let alone get away with for ten years?” Rarity asked as soon as she was steady on her feet again.
“Petunia was always jealous of Lily. She was better looking, she was accepted to a private boarding school, she was able to marry up in the world. Petunia didn’t really stand out, she was normal. For some reason Petunia took some sort of demented pride in being normal and after a while started calling Lily a freak.”
“That’s no way to treat a sister!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, “This Patootie sounds like a real meanie.”
“It’s Petunia, Pinkie; but I agree. No offence Principal Luna, but your cousin is sounding a lot like the old Sunset Shimmer. You know before she learned how awesome friends are. Uh… no offense.” Rainbow Dash said and apologized.
“None taken.” Sunset sighed. It always hurt to have your past sins brought up but Sunset had learned that she couldn’t delete everyone’s memory of who she was before the Fall Formal so she had to accept that these sort of tie backs were bound to keep happening.
“Ah hope somthin’ is bein’ done for the little feller left in England.” Applejack commented drawing any further unwanted attention from Sunset’s past. To this Luna nodded,
“Indeed, in fact that is what Celestia is doing. She has been dealing with the British embassy and child services to secure custody for our cousin. She left a few days ago on a flight to London to finalize and pick him up.”
“Oh my gosh! I’m going to have start planning a ‘Welcome to Canterlot,’ party for him!” Pinkie cried out.
“We’ll do everything we can to help your cousin feel welcome here in America.” Sunset promised which earned a hearty agreement from the rest of the group
“Thank you girls. From what I gather he hasn’t had many friends so he could use all the support he can get.”
“And what pray tell is the little gentleman’s name?” Rarity asked.
“Harry Potter.”