text: [Themes: fan fiction, RPG, fantasy, mystery]
  
  You walk around the Station. It is huge, larger than anywhere you've seen in your life, with a glass ceiling that reveals a blue, cloudless sky. Suddenly, you hear a sobbing...an infant? The sobs echo across the walls. You walk towards the source of the sound, and as you do, the Station darkens. No more is the sky blue; instead, it is as black as night, the only light being the dim rays of the full moon. Finally, you find the infant, lying on the floor. It is an ugly, pitiful creature, with distorted limbs and a wrinkled, deformed face. Suddenly, you hear more sobbing and turn around. You are surrounded by seven more infants, identical to this one, all sobbing in unison, their echoing cries of pain filling your mind. As you desperately try to cover your ears, the scene fades...
  
  Your alarm rings. Groggily, you reach for the device making the sound and shut it off as your eyes adjust to your surroundings. It is a particularly miserable winter's day; barely any light shines through the tiny, grimy window as the grey clouds hover in the air, choking out the barest glimpse of the sun. The dusty wooden boards of the floor creak as you get up, and the wardrobe beneath the window towers over you.
  
  It's your birthday today, but this fact does not bring much joy with it. Every birthday has been the same; the Orphanage Caretaker, Mrs. Coal, attempts to cheer you up with her over-the-top positivity, but little can disguise the fact that this day means very little. The "Fleece Orphanage" cannot afford presents or celebrations, so everything Mrs. Coal does for you must be out of her own pocket.
  
  Do you decide to go downstairs to the "party", or just stay up here and hope that they forget about you?
  
  > go downstairs
  You trudge downstairs and into the common room of the Orphanage. As you open the door, you are greeted to a garish sight; brightly coloured paper chains of pink and purple have been placed over the fading furniture, clashing terribly with it, and Mrs. Coal stands in the centre with a huge, obviously forced smile on her face.
  
  "Happy birthday!" she says to you, standing by a table with a small cake, unadorned by icing and with a single candle in the centre. She is obviously trying her best to sound enthusiastic, but she is clearly not a great actress. The bags under her eyes likely came from her trying to place everything here at night, getting little to no sleep.
  
  The children of the orphanage, however, have not made the same effort to seem even slightly excited. Most students have a bored expression, though a few actually look angry at you; they had to wake up a few minutes earlier than you did to be present for this "surprise".
  
  The party goes about as well as you expected. The children complained about not getting enough cake, so you mostly had to go without. That turned out to be a blessing, however, as the cake was not dissimilar to cardboard in terms of flavour. Eventually, you just decide to sit on your own, away from the other children. Mrs. Coal decides to talk to you
  
  "Listen," she says, "You've been here longer than any other child at the Orphanage, and I know it's been hard for you to see so many others go while you stay behind. Let me know if you have any problems at all, and I'll help you. It's no trouble, believe me."
  
  You thank her, but say there isn't anything you need help with. However, as she gets up, you notice someone in the corner that you did not notice before. A man in a purple robe, sits in the corner of the room. He has a small black goatee and a black top hat. What is odd about him, however, is not his dress sense, but rather how no one seems to be paying any kind of attention to him at all. What do you do?
  
  > ask the others in the Orphanage about the strange man
  You get up, and ask the nearest child to you who the strange man in the corner was.
  
  "I don't care about your weird games," spits the child, "You're getting enough attention, you don't need to make up imaginary friends too."
  
  You go to Mrs. Coal, and point to the man in the corner. She looks at the corner of the room, but her eyes slip upwards and away from the man just before she can focus on him.
  
  "I can't see anything there, dear," she says, sounding a little confused, "Maybe they've left the building?"
  
  But the man is still there, smiling with a twinkle in his eye.
  
  Eventually, you decide to approach him.
  
  "Ah, you can see me," he says, "You must be the one I'm here for. My name is Aldmoro Wardson, and I'm here to give you what you are owed."
  
  "What?" You ask, confused. The man takes out an envelope and hands it to you. The envelope has a red, wax seal keeping it closed, emblazoned with a strange crest with four animals on it. You open the letter, and a piece of old-fashioned parchment comes out. In shock, you realise it is addressed to your name, and you read the rest of the letter.
  
  We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
  
  Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.
  
  Yours sincerely,
  
  Minerva McGonagall
  
  "Wizards?" You reply, "Magic? What does this mean? Is this supposed to be code for something?"
  
  "It means exactly what is says," explains Aldmoro, mildly, "You have been deemed old enough to understand and make the choice to join our world. You will be able to learn magic in a controlled setting, and find your own place in our society. Nevertheless, as a non magical person, or a "muggle", I understand you might be sceptical of this, so I am allowed to perform basic acts of magic to prove this to you. No one else in this room, aside from you and me, will notice this trick, as I have cast a spell that confuses the perception of muggles so their eyes will simply move away from anything deemed unusual."
  
  What act of magic should he do to convince you that he is telling the truth?
  
  > turn your paper plate into a giant butterfly
  Aldmero looks slightly nervous.
  
  "Transfiguration's not my specialty," he admits, "I sometimes get it wrong, but this seems simple enough. I'll see what I can do."
  
  Amdmero pulls something out of his pocket. It is a long, carved stick, made of some kind of ancient wood...a magic wand. He points it at your plate, mutters something under his breath, and suddenly the plate is no longer there. It has instead been replaced with a huge, grey creature with wings that have spots on them, resembling eyes, and two furry antennae. The moth flaps his wings and floats gently in the air.
  
  You're amazed, but Aldmero seems slightly frustrated. "I always get something wrong," Aldmero says, "It was meant to be a butterfly, not a moth. Perhaps the spell thought the moth would fit this environment better; magic can be a bit finicky like that if you're not concentrating strongly enough."
  
  "Now," he says, "This is technically your choice. You can stay here in the orphanage, and the Muggle World. No one would hold it against you, but you will never be allowed to use any kind of magic. Or, you can come with me, and leave this place behind. I've already told Mrs. Coal, though I have wiped her memory of it, and it will only be restored if you decide to come with me."
  
  > agree to go, but ask if you can say goodbye to Mrs. Coal
  "Very well," says Aldmero, "You may say goodbye, but do not tarry too long."
  
  You walk over to Mrs. Coal, your heart beating in your throat, and tell her the news. She gasps.
  
  "You're right!" She says, "There was a man who told me that he would be happy to take you, he even filled out all the paperwork and everything. It must have slipped my mind, how odd, but I suppose I was feeling a little tired. I'm so happy for you, and on your birthday too. My, I do believe I'll miss you, but that's worth it if you can find a happy home."
  
  You say goodbye, and leave the Orphanage to the cold, bitter winter's morning outside. The cars rush by, and Aldmero stands there in his purple robe, standing out in the dark and bleak street.
  
  "Ready?" Asks Aldmero, and he holds out his hand. You nod, and hold on. Suddenly, the world begins to swirl away like a vortex, and everything goes black...
  
  "Sorry about that," says Aldmero, "I took you here via disapperation, which tends to be an unpleasant process the first time around, but if I warn people before hand they usually hold their breath which makes the feeling even worse."
  
  "It feels like I was forced through a rubber tube," you say, and look around. Gone are the bleak streets and gloomy skies, instead the sun pours down onto the old-fashioned cobblestones. A wall appears in front of you, and Aldmero takes out his wand to tap a pattern on the bricks ahead of him. The bricks move aside, and a great street appears ahead of you.
  
  "Weclome," says Aldmero, "To Diagon Alley!"
  
  The street is filled with an incredible selection of shops, and witches and wizards of all kinds. An Apothacarey, for potion ingredients, a Magical Menagerie full of otherworldly pets, and more.
  
  "Now," says Aldmero, handing you a slip of Parchement, "Here is a list of all the things you will need for Hogwarts." He pauses, "I have to go now, and take care of things in Gringotts, but as long as you have that enchanted Parchment I should be able to find you again. Did you have any final questions, before I go?"
  
  > ask him about the strange dream you had just before he got here
  You decide to tell Aldmero about the odd dream you had about the infants. He stops, all the colour drained from his face.
  
  "How many infants were there?" He asks, unsettled. You tell him there were nine in total, and this makes him even worse.
  
  "What does this mean?" You ask, "Is this common?"
  
  "No," mutters Aldmero, "No, this isn't common at all. It's just that last night, I had the same dream as well..." The look on his face clears, "Oh, I'm sure it's nothing," he says, brightly, "Just a strange coincidence, happens all the time. If it's any consolation, I'll look into it a bit further, but it's nothing to worry about." He seems a little too cheerful for your liking, and you're sure that this is a front. But with that thought, he vanishes.
  
  You take a look at your list. You have to buy a Peweter Cauldron, a Wand and a set of Robes. You have been given enough money from Hogwarts to buy all these things. Before you go anywhere, you probably ought to get a Wand and Cauldron, first.
  
  > Ollivander's Wand Shop
  You enter Ollivander's Wand Shop and are instantly struck by how quiet it is in here. Hundreds of compartments, all with different wand types, cover the walls. The entire place seems to be carved out of wood, almost feeling like the inside of some massive tree.
  
  "A student," says and old, cracked voice, "Have you come around for a wand from Mr. Ollivander?"
  
  You cannot locate the source of the voice, so you say "Yes?" to the air. Suddenly, an old man appears at the desk, as if he had always been there. He is hunched over and holds a cane, his eyes old and filled with memories.
  
  "Mr. Ollivander?" You ask.
  
  "That's me," croaks Ollivander, "Supplier of the finest wands since 382 B.C." He hobbles over to the compartments.
  
  "Before the whole Wizarding War buisness," he explains, looking for something in the compartments, "We would give students a series of wands until one of them worked. However, a student named Hermione Granger devised a far more efficient, and ingenious method..." Ollivander opens a compartment and pulls out a wand.
  
  "This wand is unique in that a wizard cannot use it to perform magic, as its core is removed" he explains, "Instead, when a Wizard holds it, it will simply point us to the wand which suits them best."
  
  You take a hold of the wand, and suddenly hear a voice in your mind, asking you questions...
  
  > take the "Wand" quiz to find out which wand suits you best...
  Question 1 : You must travel through a dark, mysterious forest which you have never encountered before. The path is blocked by thick undergrowth and wild animals. How do you get through?
  
  > blast your way through, destroying anything that dares block your way
  If you could choose any of these lives, which one would you want the most?
  
  > A position where you would have great power and influence
  Which of these rivers sounds the best?
  
  > A great, roaring river that cuts through the landscape
  You find that an old witch or wizard who you admire greatly is planning on retiring. What do you do?
  
  > try to get in their good graces and hope they name you as their successor
  The testing wand suddenly moves like a compass needle towards a specific compartment in the wall. Mr Ollivander hobbles towards the compartment, and while he looks for the wand, you notice a book on his desk. It is opened to a page describing different wand types
  
  "Wands are used by the magical community primarily for three things - Light Magic, Potion Brewing, and Dark Magic, though Dark Magic is officially banned under ministry law. Each wand chooses the wizard or witch, and is tied directly to their personality'; each wand is cut from a different wood, and contains a different core ingredient. Three examples are
  
  Oak Wood Wand with Unicorn Hair - This wand is very reliable when wanting to perform Light Magic, and has a minor affiliation to potion brewing, but is nearly impossible to turn to Dark Magic. It often favours users who want to use their magic to help others, or those who have a special connection with nature.
  
  Hornbeam Wood with Dragon Heartstring - This wand is very unreliable and weak when it comes to performing Light Magic, but can perform very powerful Dark Magic, and brew decent potions. Many wizards and witches who have gone on to perform great magic have used this wand, though more than a few have also turned their wands to nefarious ends.
  
  Hawthorn Wood with Phoenix Feather Core - This is a very unique wand; it can create very powerful and potent potions, but can only perform the most basic of either light or dark side spells. This particular wand must be handled with care, and generally attaches itself to those who wish to find out the ancient arts of potions making.
  
  Mr. Ollivander walks up to you, the wand in his hands.
  
  "Here is your wand," he says, "Take good care of it." You pass him the coins, and you accept the Wand in return. Your wand is...
  
  > Hornbeam Wood with Dragon heartstring Core
  Your Hornbeam Wand is black, like a shard of night, with a dark, cruel power just under the surface. Something tells you this wand is capable of terrible things...
  
  > To Diagon Alley
  In Diagon Alley, you notice a dark alleyway that cuts off from the main road.A cold breeze howls from it, disturbing a wooden sign reading "Knockturn Alley", making it creak in the wind.
  
  > buy your robes, then leave Diagon Alley for good
  You decide to visit Madam Malkin's Robes to purchase a new set for Hogwarts.
  
  You visit the Robe shop. Though the shop, on the outside, looks tiny, on the inside, it looks like it goes on forever; there is simply a forest of clothes of all shapes and sizes. An enchanted tape measures the size of a sea-blue set of robes, as a Witch takes notes. She glances up at you.
  
  "Another student?" she asks, "You must be here to collect your robes. No problem, just wait here, I'll give you a selection."
  
  Suddenly, a four legged stool comes galloping up to you like a small dog. It stops itself just where you're standing, allowing you to sit down easily.
  
  As you wait, another student wanders past, his head stuck in a newspaper. The newspaper has a moving picture on the front, showing the faces of several young adults with the title "REMEMBERING THOSE WHO FELL AT THE BATTLE OF HOGWARTS: YOUNG LIVES TRAGICALLY CUT SHORT". Suddenly, the student trips over, crashing into a line of clothes; his shoelaces were untied.
  
  "Oh bother!" He exclaims, "This is the third time this has happened!" He tries to put his shoelaces back, but they keep being undone mysteriously.
  
  > ask the boy what is wrong with his shoelaces
  "These shoelaces don't like being tied together," mutters the student, "I've been told that some magical shoes are like this, and that I should use a spell to just keep them tied, but it just seems a little wrong to me."
  
  You ask him what could possibly be wrong with that.
  
  "I've just learned about the existence of magic," he confesses, "And I still can't really get over the fact that it's treated so mundanely. We have literally been given power over fundamental aspects of the universe, and what do we use it for? Tying our shoes? Making toys and sweets? It seems a little absurd and almost disrespectful, in a way."
  
  You get to talking with this student and find out his name is James Moffat. He wonders a lot about whether magic is used responsibly.
  
  "There are plenty of non magical, muggle problems that could so easily be solved with magic," he points out, "We have the ability to solve mass hunger with replication spells, we have the cures for so many diseases, not to mention the fact that happiness charms can do wonders for mental health, and yet we keep them locked away, only for the chosen few. What do you think?"
  
  > say you are not sure either way
  "It is a difficult thing to talk about," he admits, "I'm sure there would be a lot of problems at first, especially considering how scared muggles would be at first. But I also think it will cause even more problems trying to keep our world hidden forever."
  
  "Your robes are ready!" Calls the witch Madam Malkin. You wave goodbye to James and get up, as your stool scampers dutifully away.
  
  Madam Malkin provides you with three options for robes. One of the is dark blue, and reminds you of the ocean, a thousand star-reflections glittering the fabric. The second is shades of green, as if made of the sun-dappled leaves from a forest in summer. The final robe is black as the night sky. Which of these robes do you prefer?
  
  > The Green Robe
  You pick the robe that you like the look of the most, and leave the shop. As you leave, a familiar face is there to greet you; Aldmero, the wizard.
  
  "The train ought to be leaving for Hogwarts in less than an hour, so we ought to disapperate to King's Cross now."
  
  You grab Aldmero's hand, and prepare yourself. Somehow, the experience is even more unpleasant than the first time; because you're holding your breath, the air is squeezed out of you, leaving you slightly dazed on the other side.
  
  You are now between platforms 9 and 10. You are somewhat confused; where are all the wizards? Surely they should be here too? Aldmero hands you a ticket which says "Departs from Platform 9 & 3/4". You look bemused, but Aldmero just smiles.
  
  "Follow me," he says, and before you can ask where, he dashes at the wall and vanishes!
  
  You blink; he has gone through the wall! You gulp, and rush at the wall, but before you hit it, you stop. Your instincts simply do not allow you to run head first into a brick wall. Frustrated, you absent-mindedly lean against the wall while you figure out what to do next...and simply fall through it, onto the other side. You are on the Platform 9 & 3/4, by a huge red train called the "Hogwarts Express". Students from all around England are here; many have pets such as owls and cats, but some have slightly more exotic creatures, such as birds of paradise, and a few even have magical creatures as pets, such as Baku, which look like small furry tapirs.
  
  A thought occurs to you.
  
  "Why can't we disapperate to somewhere closer to Hogwarts?" You ask, "Why do we have to go to a train station in London?"
  
  "That's a good question," says Aldmero, "The answer is that, the enchantments protecting Hogwarts are so powerful that, if you were to access it through any means other than the train that departs from King's Cross, it would just appear to be a tiny, ruined Castle in Loch an Eilein. Only an exceptionally powerful wizard could get around the enchantment otherwise."
  
  "Well," says Aldmero, "This is goodbye. I have to get back to Hogwarts to discuss important matters with the Head of the Aurors, who is visiting temporarily. Take care, and remember, Hogwarts will always help those who ask for it. It is said that Hogwarts even helped the great Harry Potter defeat Lord Voldemort by keeping his loyal friends safe in a hidden room." And with that, he vanishes.
  
  "All aboard!" Calls the Hogwarts Express Driver.
  
  > step on board the Hogwarts Express
  You step on board the train, and notice just how quiet the inside is the moment you're fully on board, as if the bustling people outside simply vanished.
  
  You walk across the blue carpet, passing cabins as you go, until you finally find one that is empty. Just as you sit down on one of the red chairs, the whistle blows, and the train starts chugging off.
  
  The inside of the station gives way to the streets of London. As you look out the window, you realise that you can see cars, buses and muggles going about their daily business, yet not a single one glances in your direction or notices the giant red train speeding through the City. It is oddly disconcerting, somehow even more so than any of the more overt forms of magic you've come across.
  
  The city eventually gives way to the suburbs, then to farms and pastoral fields, and finally to forests and wilderness. The sun sinks behind the mountains in the distance, and the darkness begins to lull you to sleep...
  
  You're back at an empty King's Cross Station, but it is so dark you can barely make out your location. The crying hasn't stopped; it's only become louder, more distressed. The entire station echoes with the cries and screams of the Eight Infants. It feels like you're being driven mad; you can hear the pain in their voice, the fear, but it is a raw terror; the infants do not know or understand what is happening, making the experience so much worse. You wish it could stop, you would do anything to make this stop, anything at all, even-
  
  The whistle of the Hogwarts Express blows, shocking you awake. The dream has left you feeling cold, and you see a glimpse of your reflection in the window, pale as death. But as you start to leave the train, you notice something that makes you feel even worse. Every single other student exhibits the same symptoms...almost all of them look disturbed, the same pale expression on their face. Of all the students that come past, you only notice one who seems to be somewhat at east; a short, black haired boy. But the fact that so many others are like this cannot be a coincidence.
  
  As you walk towards the exit, you hear other students talking among themselves.
  
  "Haven't been able to sleep much lately." "Why is that?" "Just...stuff." "Have you had any weird dreams or anything?" "What? N-no, of course not! Why would you ask that? Have you been having weird dreams?" "No! Everything's fine, I was just wondering..."
  
  You walk out into the Hogwarts Station, under the full moon. You see a dark forest in the distance, and you hear a faint howl from those woods. Even though your robes keep you insulated from the cold wind, a shiver runs through you.
  
  "Firs' years this way!" Down the path, you see a tall, imposing figure holding a lantern. Its bright warm glow makes a welcome change.
  
  A few gasps ring out at just how giant the man is, and as he come closer, you notice he has a great black beard, and an old and worn brown coat. The first years nonetheless follow him down the path.
  
  "Now I hope none of you are afrai' of water," says the man, "Or the things that live inside of it. If you see a tentacle or two in the water, that's just our Giant Squid. Nothin' to worry about, he's friendly, but we've had a few students in the park be a little skittish around him, not understanding that he's just a great big sofite."
  
  "Giant Squid?" a familiar voice says. You look to your side, and James Moffat is beside you, "But they only live in saltwater and oceans! This habitat is really not appropriate; for one, it's not going to find enough food."
  
  You approach the bank of a huge lake, its surface dotted with a thousand star reflections, and the moon's reflection stares back at it, like two eyes looking at each other. But the Castle in the centre of the lake is what makes everyone stare in awe-a truly gigantic castle, that seems to defy the size of the lake that it is on, rises up into the distance, its towers and spires reaching into the sky, and its windows lit with glowing, magical lights. You are lead to a series of boats, but none of them have drivers, or even oars. You clamber into one, beside James, and slowly, the boat begins to sail out towards the castle.
  
  Eventually, the boat stops at the harbour by the school. You're lead out from the cold and into the School through two wide, wooden doors. You pass paintings that are alive and suits of armour that seem to move only when you're looking away from them. Finally, you are brought to the Great Hall. The ceiling looks at first like it is an open-topped room, but if you look close enough you can see that the ceiling has just been enchanted to look like the night's sky. Four huge tables make up the majority of the room.
  
  The headmistress, Professor McGonagall, stands at the podium on the far end of the room. She points a wand at her throat and mutters something. Suddenly, her voice echoes throughout the hall as if through a megaphone:
  
  "Welcome all to your first year at Hogwarts," she says, "Before you go to your beds, you all must be sorted into your Houses. As per my predecessor's request, before each ceremony, I must recite the School Song to the best of my ability." She clears her throat, then, in a very serious and prosaic tone, reads out the School Song, in the manner of someone reading out the results of an experiment done on ferns.
  
  "Hogwarts, Hogwarts, hoggy, warty, Hogwarts, teach us something, please." She states, "Teach us things worth knowing; bring back what you have forgot. Just do your best, we will do the rest, and learn until your brains all rot." Then, before the students can react, she continues as if nothing happened;
  
  "Now, to be sorted," She points to an old hat on the podium, and calls a name. The hat waits on the head of the first student, before a tear appears on the hat, like a mouth, calling out "Hufflepuff!" And so the Sorting Begins.
  
  "Moffat, James!" Calls out Mcgonnagal, and James walks out and places the hat on his head. The hat waits for less than a minute, then calls out from the tear "Ravenclaw!"
  
  It is your turn. Shaking slightly, you walk onto the stage, and the hat is placed on your head. Suddenly, you hear a voice; The Sorting Hat.
  
  "Another year, another Sorting," whispers the voice that only you can hear, "Now where do you belong? Gryffindor, where only the bravest, and most headstrong and hot headed, go? Ravenclaw, the brightest of all, but also the hardest to fit in? Hufflepuff, where those who value hard work and common sense dwell? Or cunning Slytherin, those who can find ways to achieve anything they set their minds to, whether that be for good or for ill?"
  
  The Sorting Hat will ask you a series of four questions. These will determine which House you belong in...
  
  > begin the Sorting...
  You are in a field of wheat at night, with no recollection of how you got there. In the centre of the field, stands a figure, cloaked in shadow. You cannot see the figure's face, but you know it is watching you. What do you do?
  
  > confront the entity, despire your fear, and try and make it afraid instead
  You open a small, bejweled box, and see that inside is an object that brings you joy. What is the object?
  
  > A rare fossil
  You need to get thorugh a door, but how?
  
  > pick the lock
  Picture a forest you would like to see in your mind. Make sure you take into account every tree, every plant, and every aspect of the forest. Which of these represents the forest you thought of best?
  
  > A dark forest; trees with gnarled, leafless branches, and dead logs covered in fungi
  The Sorting Hat is ready to make his decision...
  
  > Ravenclaw!
  "Ravenclaw!" The Hat shouts out, to a round of applause. Relieved, you join the Ravenclaw table. There is a seat next to James, which you gladly accept.
  
  "Well done on getting Ravenclaw!" Says James, "All the Houses have their own benefits, I'm sure, but between you and me I still think Ravenclaw is the superior place to be. Bravery, cunning and hard work are all very well, but when you're dealing with magic you really need to have an understanding of how things work."
  
  After the Sorting is over, Mcgonagall announces; "Without further delay, the feast can now begin!"
  
  Suddenly, the tables are filled with silver plates and cutrely, ladened with food. Vegetable Casserole, potato and beetroot pie and treacle tart. After the Feast, you trudge off towards the Ravenclaw common room.
  
  There is a small group of first years there, in front of a wooden door, with a knocker shaped like an eagle. The eagle cries out "I am found at the start of nothing, the end of a unicorn, and the centre of honey. What am I?"
  
  "N!" calls a voice at last, and the door opens.
  
  The inside of the Room is filled with library books, surrounded by stained glass windows showing historrical figures, as well as marble statues. It is remarkably quiet in here, with each wall being rounded. You notice a wooden globe, and on closer inspection, realise it shows far more than just countries; the weather patterns of each location are shown in real time, with tiny little rainclouds over places that are under storms. If you look into the sea long enough, you can sometimes see whales surfacing for breath. Once, you're convinced you saw a Sea Serpent for the briefest second. At last, after the excitement wears off, everyone goes to bed and switches off the light, although there is a noticable tension in the air, as if everyone in the room is secretly dreading sleep, though most everyone manages to get to sleep eventually.
  
  You can't sleep, however. The dreams you had are lodged in your mind, and you don't think you can bear facing them again. Suddenly, you hear voices at the door; there is someone trying to get in, feeling more and more frustrated. Eventually, there is a knock at the door. Do you answer?
  
  > answer the door
  You decide to get up and answer the door. It creaks open, to reveal a short, black-haired boy with a worried expressoin. His robes have the Green lining of a Slytherin Student.
  
  "What are you doing here?" You ask, groggily. Suddenly, someone else appears outside the Common Room; James is there, holding a small tortoise.
  
  "Someone's pet escaped," he explains, "I'm returning it to your common room." The Tortoise opens his mouth to let out a burst of flame.
  
  "You need to listen, now!" The black haired boy hisses, "Have either of you been having weird dreams that involve things...crying?"
  
  You and James look taken aback.
  
  "How did you know I was having those dreams?" asks James. You admit you have also been having strange dreams.
  
  "It's what I thought," says the boy gravely, "Then my worst fears have been realised. It's him, from beyond the grave. The Dark Lord; Voldemort."
  
  James looks shocked.
  
  "But he was defeated!" James exclaims, "Voldemort was killed, his soul shattered into eight pieces, beyond repair!"
  
  "And how many infants were in your dream?" points out the boy, "Eight, wasn't it?"
  
  "I...yes," says James, "That...that is strange..."
  
  "Someone in my House is obsessed with him," the Slytherin boy whispers, "A half-blood girl, called Emilie Mitchell. She has family who work in the Ministry...I think she's trying to bring the Dark Lord back."
  
  You are silent for a moment.
  
  "Is this a joke?" Replies James, "This is one of the most absurd things I have ever heard in my life! Who haven't you gone to the teachers, then?"
  
  "And alert her? Reveal we know what she's up to?" Says the black haired boy, "That's the worst thing we can do! You might as well walk right up to her, as "Excuse me, but are you trying to bring back the Dark Lord?" I'm sure that would work; why didn't I think of it before!"
  
  What is your reaction?
  
  > believe the Slytherin Student
  You are convinced, but James did not seem so sure.
  
  "How do we know we can trust you?" James asks the Slytherin, "How do we know you're not trying to trick us; that YOU are not the one trying to bring the Dark Lord back?"
  
  The boy laughs, a humourless sound.
  
  "My name is Capricus Selwyn," he explains, "If you really think I would want the Dark Lord to return, look at this." He pulls out a moving Newspaper cutting from a few months ago, which reads "The tragedy of the Selwyn parents; these brave souls refused to divulge vital information to the Death Eaters. They were tortured and murdered by the Dark Lord Voldemort himself, leaving their only child, Capricus, an orphan."
  
  "Believe me," says Selwyn, darkly, "I am beyond happy that Voldemort has been banished, and I hope he suffers every single moment of his miserable existence. I would do anything to stop him from being freed from that torment!"
  
  James looks like he's going to retort, but doesn't say anything. He simply walks back to his dormitory, without a word.
  
  So now you know what is behind the dreams you've been having. But how do you stop it? Best wait for the morning for that, and your first lessons as the rain begins to patter against the window...
  
  > Time to sleep...
  You are at the Station again, but you know what's coming. You seek out one of the crying infants, and get a good look at it. You see the snake-like eyes, the horrible, deformed face without a true nose...but as you look closer, you realise that this is not a monster. It is not a demon, an eldrich abomination...it is just an infant, crying and alone...
  
  You wake up; it is nearly time for your first Class of the day; Potions. In Potions, you learn how to brew concoctions which can influence people, whether for good or for ill. The other two classes you have today are Care of Magical Creatures, and Defence Against the Dark Arts.
  
  Potions takes place in the Dungeons, so you travel down the ever-changing Staircase. At one point, you take the wrong turn, but the helpful spirit of Nearly-Headless Nick points you down the right direction.
  
  At last, you find your way to the Dungeon. The windows in the walls are like submarine windows, in that they let you see into the green lake itself, the water making the light flicker across the round, glass bottle filled with substances of every different colour. One looks like pure gold, another looks blacker than night itself. A particularly noticable bottle is filled with a purple liquid that, somehow, emits a green light over the surrounding table.
  
  "Welcome, class!" Says a jovial voice, and a large, portly man introduces himself, "I am Professor Slughorn, and I will be taking your class today!" He pauses.
  
  "Potions is a versatile and flexible art and I want your introduction to reflect that!" He says, "As such, the first potion you make will be up to you! In your textbook you will find a list of potions to brew; simply pick one and show it to me at the end of the class."
  
  You flick through the book, and find a list of possible potions to make...
  
  Simple Sleeping Draught : Recommended for those who are just starting out, the Sleeping Draught should put small creatures to sleep, though their lack of potency makes it unsuitable for much else.
  
  Draught of the living Dead : Recommended for those who are reasonably confident in their skills, and with a decent wand. This is a hugely more potent form of Sleeping Draught which will put even the most savage monsters into a peaceful slumber, though it should never be used on humans as the effects could be irreversable
  
  Felix Felicis : Should only be attempted by those with extreme aptitude and a Wand specialised for potion brewing. Felix Felicis is known as the "lucky" potion, meaning that the user will be much more likely to accomplish their goals with this potion than without it. Although the regular version of Felix Felicis is meant to last for at least an hour, that version takes several months to stew. A much weaker version that last for about five minutes, can be brewed, albiet with a lot of difficulty, in around an hour.
  
  > try to brew a Simple Sleeping Draught
  You carefully add the ingridients, such as herbs, flobberworm mucus and lavender, causing a slightly sweet aroma. The potion seems to be a light purple by the time it's finally done.
  
  "Well, what do we have here?" Says Professor Slughorn, "It looks to me like you've been making a sleeping draught? A rather simple, unambitious potion I think." He takes your vial, squints at it, then takes a drop.
  
  "Not a bad effort," he admits, yawning, "A satisfactory performance. You may keep your potion, maybe it'll come in handy eh?"
  
  You look around the room. James has produced a potion that, when poured onto flowers, causes them to emit different tunes. Daffodils create happy, joyful tunes whereas Poppies play sad, funeral dirges. Selwyn meanwhile has created a potion that hardens around anything in touches, like amber, allowing him to trap petals and small objects in little crystal jewels. As you look around, you see a student who seems to be struggling with the potion; she is a black-haired, Slytherin student who is working on a strange-looking potion. Suddenly, you realise who this is; Emilie Mitchell; the girl who is supposedly attempting to bring back Voldemort! What do you do?
  
  > Do not draw attention to yourself and ignore her
  You sneak out of the Dungeons when class is over with James and Selwyn, hoping that you do not bring too much attention to yourself.
  
  You have quite a long break before your next class, Care of Magical Creatures. As you walk through the corridors with the two students, you get to talking about a strange rumour; a place known as the Room of Requirement.
  
  "There is meant to be a room in this corridor that, if you walk past three times with what you need envisioned in your mind, the Room will appear and be the exact place you need," Explains James.
  
  "But this is excellent!" Says Selwyn, "All we need to do is ask the Room to provide us with a way to keep the Dark Lord Voldemort locked away, and it will not matter what Emilie does!"
  
  "I think we're getting a little hasty here," says James, "I think it makes a lot more sense to ask the Room to give us a clue as to what Emilie is even trying to do; it makes sense to get the full story after all! And plus, if this works, we might even learn about Voldemort; what his vulnerabilities are, whether he actually had any redeeimng qualities... "
  
  Your decision is the tie-breaker : what do you do?
  
  > ask the Room for more information on Emilie's plan and if Voldemort has any redeeming features
  Selwyn seems annoyed but he defers to your vision. Three times you walk around, asking the Room for what you want. Finally, the door in the wall appears, and you walk through.
  
  The Room of Requirement is a medium sized room, and seems a little basic, but the first thing you notice is that it is filled with bookshelves. The books themselves flip their own pages on their own, as if reading themselves in mid-air, then put themsevles away when they're done. However, one book catches your attention; a large tome, open on a podium.
  
  "The Room cannot make new things," James explains, "So this book was not written by it, and likely will not contain the exact answers we need. However, it will give us a general hint as to what exactly is going on."
  
  You cautiously approach the book, and read the inside. The book is not written as if it was meant to be published; instead, it looks like a series of very hastily written personal notes and there is no author name. Perhaps this is someone's personal notebook that has been found by the Room?
  
  Tom Riddle's Upbringing
  
  Lord Voldemort was not always a monster; in fact, he started as a simple child named Tom Riddle, in a muggle orphanage. Tom Riddle did not enjoy his life in the Orphanage at all, and it seems he hated the place perhaps more than anywhere else. When he left and appeared at Hogwarts, the happiness he felt was almost overwhelming, and it was one of the rare times I saw pure joy on the boy's face. It is sad that this spark of joy was so easily snuffed out by his ambition and desire for power.
  
  "Useless!" Says Selwyn, "We know her plans involve Voldermort obviously!"
  
  "Well, it's good to have confirmation," grumbles James, "No sense wandering in the dark, and maybe this gave us more than we realise at the moment!"
  
  "Yeah, right," scoffs Selwyn, and you all leave the Room to go to your next class...
  
  > Care of Magical Creatures
  The meeting point for the Care of Magical Creatures lesson begins outside Hagrid's Hut, just by the forbidden forest. The sky is grey and cloudy, but there is something pleasant about the air and the outside as you walk across the grass, the ends of your robes getting slightly damp from the dew from the rain that fell last night.
  
  "Listen up, firs' years!" Comes a gruff but friendly voice. The Magical Creatures professor, Hagrid, comes out of his hut and addresses the Class.
  
  "Now," he says, "We'll be headin' into the Forbidden Forest. These will be some of the safer, less dangerous parts of the Forest, however, owing to some complications that have happened in previous years, it has been decided that all students must have basic training.in a few defensive charms before we go in. I have a few books here, and if you have any problems I'll be there to keep an eye on you and help."
  
  Your book gives you a choice of "Light Magic" spells to learn
  
  Flipendo - This spell is a simple, yet effective, jinx for early students to learn. The knockback jinx allows you to push back any hostile creatures or opponents, while doing no direct damage. Like all defensive spells, it can lead to injury must be treated with a great degree of caution and never used frivilously, but it is far safer than most others.
  
  Stupefy - This is the stunning spell, placing a creature into a coma for a few minutes. It is a spell for those who are reasonably confiedent with light magic, and can be used to take down tougher foes.
  
  Protego Maxima - A very powerful shield spell that can only be used by the most powerful practioners of Light Magic. This creates a shield around the user that is so powerful that any enemies, and their spells, will simply bounce off the shield. Multiple people casting this charm will make it powerful enough to disintegrate enemies, but this is not possible with only a single user. However, it is still a very strong charm; no creature in the Forbidden Forest will be able to stand up against this spell.
  
  Which spell do you wish to learn?
  
  > try Flipendo
  You manage to learn the knockback jinx and are actually fairly surprised at how quickly you managed to do it, as well as how effective it is. Soon, you are knocking over twigs, leaves and even small logs as if it were nothing.
  
  "Right," says Hagrid, "I reckon you're all ready to go out into the woods, just stay close to me and you should all be okay. Oh, and take these magical oats. Give it to any plant-eating creature, and it will be your closest friend." You take a handful of oats, then follow Hagrid.
  
  You head into the forest, and at first it is nowhere near as scary as you were expecting. The sun shines through the trees, casting its beams upon the leaves on the forest floor.
  
  "Now," says Hagrid, "We'll be looking at a fairly popular beast today, the-" he stops in his tracks; the path is blocked by something stretching from one tree to another. On closer look, it appears to be a massive spider's web.
  
  "No," mutters Hagird, "No, this isn't right...all the Acromantula abandoned this place after-" he abruptly stops. "Back the way we came!" He says, "We can't do this, it's too danger-"
  
  Suddenly, you hear a clicking from above you. A huge, black creature with eight massive legs and two huge pincers, the size of pineapples, hangs above you from a gigantic thread of webbing. The students scream, but before you can react, the furry legs grab you. You can feel the bristles against your cheek.
  
  "No!" Cries Hagrid, firing spells at the spider with his Umbrella, "No! Bad spider! Let go!" But the spider quickly ascends into the treetops covering you in webbing...
  
  You awaken, in the middle of a dark and black forest, surrounded by webbing and stuck to the base of a tree trunk. The trees loom over you, their leaves and branches covered in thick, grey spider-webs. You whisper "Diffindo!" and the webbing surrounding you becomes undone. You are in the heart of the Forbidden Forest; there is no way you will be able to survive here alone. However, you hear a sound not far off. As you creep closer, you realise that there are several paths in the woods. Each path leads to a different part of the Spider's Nest, where he keeps his prey. It is likely that the more difficult paths will contain the most powerful prey...however, with your magical oats, you should be able to tame any plant-eating animal to help you through the woods. So which path do you choose?
  
  > The webbed and thorny path - The most difficult and dangerous path
  You take the webbed and thorny path. The more steps you take on it, the more you wish you could just turn around and go back...but it's too late now, you're committed.
  
  The path gets narrower, and soon the leaves and webs block out the sun almost entirely. The lack of vision has sharpened your sense of hearing-every howl of the werewolves in the woods, every knock of the woodpecker runs through your very bones. You are lead through a forest grove, surrounded by fallen logs and thick fungal growths.
  
  As you look ahread into the darkness, figures gather, hunched over with glowing, greedy little eyes. You hear a faint song, and the more you listen, the more oddly tired you feel...
  
  "Far from home and far from light,
  
  Our whispers weave the veil of night,
  
  Follow us, our lovely tune
  
  Your shining eyes reflect the moon..."
  
  What do you do?
  
  > Succumb to the song...
  You collapse on the door...no not the door, the floor...your mind is addled and everything seems to go bark...no, go dark...and they sing their final tune...
  
  "Beyond the Merlock Mountains, a long and lonely road,
  
  Through the spider-shadows and the marsh of Tode,
  
  And through the wood of hanging trees and gallows-weed,
  
  You go to find the Mewlips - and the Mewlips feed."