Author's Note: This is my first actual fanfiction. I've been reading them for years, and found myself scribbling notes to myself during some of my lectures. So here is the story that I'm putting together based on those notes. The title is based on lyrics from a song by +44. Please be open-minded. Constructive criticism is welcome. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the intellectual property associated with Harry Potter. Any references to other works are for humor only and I do not express ownership of those works.

Chapter One - Baby, Come On

Mind your own business, be respectful, take responsibility for your actions – lessons children are supposedly taught when they are young. Whatever class that was in, Athena Mayall wasn't paying attention. She tended to daydream, to create an endless web of scenarios about how her day would go, new methods to achieve her goals, and conversations with her heroes. Many of Athena's dreams ended with the abrupt realization reality did not share the mechanics of her mind.

When she wasn't living in an imaginary world, Athena was a rising seventh year at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Born and raised in a farm town in Massachusetts, she received the shock of a lifetime when a MACUSA employee showed up on her doorstep the morning of her eleventh birthday to tell her she was a witch, and that she would be accepted to Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry if she chose to pursue magical education.

She almost couldn't believe the strange man but remembered some of the odd things she was able to do. When she was younger, and she felt scared or angry, she could make herself "invisible" and hide in her favorite corner of her childhood home until she calmed down. The wizard explained that magical tend to show their first signs of magical ability in similar circumstances. Her parents thought it was a ruse until the wizard from MACUSA bewitched their coffee pot to sing opera.

She had a sister, Miriam, who was only a year older than Athena, and a brother, David, who was only eight when she discovered this part of herself. Miriam begged the wizard to tell her she could do magic and that she would also get to go to Ilvermorny, but sadly he could not grant her wish. Miriam has since come to terms with Athena's magic, and the two still love and support each other as sisters do.

No one else in Athena's family knew about her magic because they were no-majs (non-magical people), and the wizard from MACUSA said they had to keep it that way. Athena's parents always told people that she attended an exclusive boarding school in the Berkshires, and they never questioned it further.

In her first year, Athena was sorted into the Thunderbird house, the house of adventurers. It took courage and determination for a girl with a non-magical background to succeed at Ilvermorny, and she found happiness in her studies. History of Magic was easily her favorite class, and she made sure to take any electives in the subject offered by the school. Learning more about the magical world made it more real, and she took every opportunity there was to learn whether it was taking a new class or finding a new book to read, committing the stories of great witches and wizards to memory.

At the end of the last school year, Ilvermorny students were presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit England as guests of the British Minister of Magic and attend the 2018 Quidditch World Cup Final at the end of the summer. The program was developed at the British Ministry to foster international relationships among younger witches and wizards or some similar diplomatic nonsense like that. Interested students had to apply and be chosen to attend, and only six students would represent Ilvermorny in this program.

In the United States quidditch isn't as popular as quadpot, and Athena never understood why. Quidditch was a far superior sport, fast-paced, exciting, and more entertaining to watch by far. Athena had been the Keeper for the Thunderbird quidditch team since her second year and was affectionately called "the Wall" by her teammates. Nothing got by her, and if it did it was probably because she took a bludger to the face which happened more than she'd care to admit.

One of the favorites to take the Quidditch Cup this year was Mexico, and she had to be at that game to witness history. It was unlikely the American men's quidditch team would ever get close to a World Cup, so Athena supported their neighbors to the South, who happened to be much more talented at the sport.

Athena applied and was lucky to be one of the six students chosen to be a part of the British Ministry's program. The fortunate six were informed by letter in early July that they would spend the last week of August in England, attend the Quidditch World Cup Final scheduled for August 27th, and tour wizarding London and the Ministry of Magic before returning stateside for the start of term at Ilvermorny. The letter mentioned that an international portkey would be set up for August 26th and mentioned a Ministry official who would meet them upon their arrival in England, but that wasn't information Athena cared about in that moment. She was curious to see who else was picked.

The other five students joining her would be Benjamin Henry, a seventh year Wampus; John Turnbull, a sixth year and fellow Thunderbird; Jennifer Ewing, a fourth year Puckwudgie; Alvin McKinney, a fourth year Horned Serpent; and Kenzie Lumley, a third year Wampus. Athena recognized John as a fellow Thunderbird and a beater on her quidditch team and was glad she would have at least one friend on this adventure. She knew Ben from a few of her classes, but she did not recognize any of the younger students' names and hoped they wouldn't be too needy. As the oldest students, she and Ben would likely be responsible for the younger kids while they were away.

August 26 arrived faster than Athena expected, and she was finishing some last-minute packing. Grabbing her maple wand, 10 ¾" with a core of unicorn hair, from her nightstand she used the good old swish and flick to fill her suitcase with clothes and toiletries. She was seventeen and legally allowed to use magic outside of school, and thanked Morgana for her September birthday. Being able to use magic was extremely helpful, especially when Athena was running late…like now.

She ran over to the mirror hanging on the back of her door to check her appearance. She wore dark-wash jeans, a blue plaid shirt, and her beloved black Converse. She was 5'5" and you could tell she liked to eat. Athena wasn't fat, but she wasn't thin either, and her build helped her in quidditch. Looking at the mess of curly brown hair atop her head, she sighed and combed through the knots. Every time she brushed her curls she resembled a male lion, and her wild mane of hair expanded.

Making an effort to look presentable, she styled her hair into two Dutch braids, one on either side of her head. Her dark brown eyes were big and bright, but she didn't feel fully dressed until she applied eyeliner and mascara. Finally satisfied with her appearance, she closed her suitcase, shrunk it, and stuffed it into her pocket along with her wand. She glanced at the plain silver watch on her left wrist which read 3:43 PM. Not bad, she thought, I still have fifteen minutes before I need to be at the portkey.

Athena made sure to say goodbye to her parents and siblings before walking out the door. Opening the folded letter she received earlier that summer she looked for the location of their portkey. Boston. "Of course it would be in Boston," she grumbled. The Boston wizarding community might be considered more reckless than others. Secrecy is never a priority because both the magical folk and no-majs in the city were so pre-occupied with whatever else they are doing they almost never notice what's going on in nearly plain sight.

She concentrated on the address in the letter. Destination, determination, deliberation, she repeated in her head, and turned with a 'pop.' Apparition wasn't pleasant, but it sure as hell was efficient. She made it to the alley located near the Boston Common where she and the other five students were supposed to meet. So far, the only other person there was Ben who was leaning against the side of a brick building casually.

"Athena," he greeted with a nod. Ben was an alright guy, tall, sandy blonde hair, dark blue eyes, and a tanned skin tone that told her he spent most of his summer at a beach. If it weren't for his holier-than-thou attitude he might even be considered tolerable. Peeking out from behind Ben was a petite girl with white-blonde hair and dull brown eyes. Ben gestured in her direction, "this is Kenzie, she's a third year." The younger girl, Kenzie, gave Athena a half-wave and didn't make any eye contact.

"Any idea where the others are?" Athena asked Ben while her eyes scanned the alley for the remaining members of their delegation. Before Ben could answer, the two fourth years Jen and Alvin turned the corner from the street into the alley. She heard they were cousins and they certainly looked related with their straight dark hair, heavily freckled faces, and hazel eyes.

"At least we aren't last to arrive," the boy, Alvin, commented after counting only five people.

"Actually," Ben drawled, "Turnbull has been here for quite a while, he's just across the street no-maj watching in the Common."

Athena looked in the direction Ben indicated and sure enough there was John, a brunette, broad-shouldered boy who might as well have been the dictionary definition of all-American. She called out a nickname she gave him hist first year on the quidditch team, "oh Johnny-boy!"

His ears perked up and he whipped his head around to find the source of the noise. When his sapphire blue eyes met hers, he gave her a toothy smile and stood up grabbing the backpack beside him. In true Boston tradition, John weaved through oncoming traffic to cross the street and join his schoolmates in the alley.

"John, what the hell?!" Athena chastised him, "you could've been hit, dumbass!" He shrugged and waved his hand at her noncommittally and explained, "when the Wall calls, you answer." That wasn't fair. John knew how much she loved that nickname and saw that he was using it to pacify her.

With a deep sigh she opened her arms and rolled her eyes at the handsome younger boy saying, "well come here, you big idiot." John was much taller than Athena and lifted her off her feet in a bone-crushing hug.

"Not that that reunion wasn't touching and all," Ben said dryly, "but our portkey is scheduled to leave in a minute, so if you two are finished get your asses over here."

Athena rolled her eyes once more and walked over to where Ben was standing over a raggedy teddy bear. She assumed that was the portkey and looked to the five students who had formed a circle around the beat up stuffed toy. "Well," Athena said looking up at them, "grab the damn thing and hang on tight. Next stop: England." She felt a sudden pull at her navel and they were off to begin their adventure.

If you made it this far, I must have done something right...or something horribly horribly wrong...

-xThatsNotMyNamex