Harry Potter 1. The Cliff at the Lake

Disclaimer: I do not own any of J.K. Rowling's characters or ideas.

_I would like to dedicate this fan-fiction to my friend, Michelle, whom without I would have never done this._

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**Things Not Seen**

Chapter One: The Lake

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_She felt a reckless rage burn inside her. She pulled out her dagger and flung her hand at him, screaming, "This is for mother and father!" He deflected it like a toy. "Pathetic," he snarled as the weapon clattered to her feet, and she fell back, helpless once more. "Righteous anger will get you no where," he said, his eyes gleaming strangely. __"You need to really desire power, really desire my death if you wish to kill me." He paused for a moment as though waiting for her to resume her attack, and when she didn't, he spat. "You're weak. But when you want power, come seek me and I will find you…"_

_He disappeared once again in a flurry of the wind and she ran blindly through the trees, crashing through the undergrowth to find him. But he was gone. __Instead she found herself by the river, and as she looked down at it, the tears fell for the first time, creating one small ripple at a time. Her own scared eyes stared back at her until her reflection shifted; the features distorted until she was looking at him, and he smiled. "You're weak."_

_She made a strangled cry and punched the water, and the reflection vanished. "I am not weak!" she shouted at the river. "I-will-find-power!"_

The gold eyes snapped open, and it took a moment for Erin to adjust to the brightness filling the small room. She was lying on a rather uncomfortable cot in a tightly cramped room with at least eight other sleeping children.

_Last day of the trip_, she thought happily, climbing off the cot and peering out the window. Perhaps she would participate with the day's activities… after all, it wasn't long until winter started, and she dreaded the snow. Pulling out her slightly cracked mirror from underneath the bed, she gazed carefully at her reflection; until, deeming it satisfactory, she opened the window and sat on the ledge. Her feet dangled dangerously high above the ground.

Before her, a small town stretched out over the expanse of the rolling plains. It was a quaint town with interesting shops, but Erin had become quite bored with it by the second day already. There wasn't much to do in Little Hangleton, but, as Matron had said, "This is a vacation spot for orphanages. So shut your trap and enjoy the sunlight you're not going to see if you keep speaking without permission!" Erin sighed and gazed imploringly at the tree branch hanging so tantalizingly close to the window. It would be so easy to just lean over and swing off the branch onto the ground, run away and start her life over on the streets somewhere else…

Not that she wasn't grateful to the Saint Peter's Orphanage for giving her refuge, but she did not know how much longer she could cope with it before she grew mad. She bent her knees a bit, daring the branch to come any further when-

"Girl!" The door was flung open roughly and a voice barked out, stirring many of the sleeping children. "What do you think you're doing? Get off of that window- that's a danger hazard!"

Matron was a formidable woman. She was large, with very little neck and a constant, crazed look in her eyes. She was one of the reasons Erin despised the orphanage so much; her and her wooden walking stick.

"Well?" she said, brandishing it now like a weapon (which, in fact, is what it was used for). "Are you going to move or am I going to have to use the cane?"

Erin gave her a sour look and jumped off the ledge, and Matron narrowed her eyes before rapping her stick smartly against one of the children's bedpost. The noise awoke whoever had not woken from the previous conversation. "Everyone up!" she shouted as the room groaned in unison. "This is the last day we will be staying in Little Hangleton," (there was a silent cheer for this) "and then we will be going back to Saint Peter's tomorrow morning as soon as dawn breaks."

She left the room for the others to change into proper clothing, and Erin went straight back to the open window. There she stood for a moment, as though evaluating the scenery, and then pursing her lips and making a loud, high pitched whistle. One of the young girls, obviously new, looked up in confusion. "What's she doing?" she asked in a whisper that carried over to Erin. Her friend shook her head and leaned in closer. "That's the witch-girl. You don't want to mess around with her… she's calling her familiar now, that's what she's doing."

_That's a way to put it,_ Erin thought, smiling to herself. The new girl looked up in surprise as a small, dark shape approached them, the object growing larger and larger until it was resting on Erin's shoulder and she could tell what it was.

It was a falcon, with a silvery-blue gleam to its feathers and inquiring, gold eyes. Erin lightly stroked her head. "Everything alright, Sapphira?" she asked softly. The falcon chirped in acknowledgment and Erin's eyes gleamed playfully.

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They were outside, all twenty-six of them, melting in the summer's heat and their minds wandered aimlessly as the thin, graying man before them continued to drone on about trivial matters. Erin fingered the collar of her patched petticoat; it was way too close to her neck for her liking. 

"… And so we come to the most well known area of Little Hangleton- the Stoneway Center. Here you can find interesting shops and food centers that are also an excellent tourist attraction…" The man made a motion with his hand, and Matron shepherded the orphans forward. She handed them each a few crisp pound notes in their hands saying, "You have the day off to buy what you wish with this money. If you lose it or run out, don't come crying to me!"

Erin clenched the notes in her hand, a feeling of uncertainty. She had never held her own money before, let alone bought anything for herself. Not altogether sure she would enjoy the experience she reluctantly followed the group making their way to the shops.

Sapphira dug her claws in her shoulder, not hard enough to hurt but enough to get her attention. She followed Sapphira's eyes, and out of the corner of her own, saw five or six orphans disappearing in the opposite direction of the group and out of the town.

She followed them for a little more than an hour until stopping before an impossibly large, towering black cliff. It was dark and faceless, and gave her the chills just looking at it. The orphans she followed seemed to feel the same way. They silently gazed up at it, their unspoken thoughts all saying the same things. "I heard that the sea was past it," said one of the curly haired boys, Barnie, whom Erin had never liked. "They say its haunted there- too bad we won't be able to see it." Erin stepped out from behind the rock. "Why, are you too scared to scale the cliff?"

The orphans all spun around in surprise at the sound of her voice, some eying her and Sapphira warily. Barnie narrowed his eyes. "No, I'm not scared," he said defiantly. Then he pointed at the cliff. "But I bet you are. I dare you to climb over that… and stay at the sea overnight." His friends all smirked at each other. Erin knew they understood she wouldn't refuse. She _couldn't._

"Scale the cliff and stay there overnight?" she said, raising an eyebrow. Barnie laughed. "Yeah, that's it- unless you're too _chicken_." Erin peered closely at the cliffs, taking in all its features, before saying in a low voice, "I'll do it." Sapphira cawed in warning and Erin stared at the scraggly, black rocks, shivering.

The climb was not as dangerous as she had expected. The cliff, in appearance, seemed impossible to scale, but Erin was surprised to find footholds in places she had not seen them before. Sapphira hovered protectively around her, although there was nothing she could do if Erin fell. Not that she thought she would fall. She seemed to climb with ease and expertise although she had never climbed anything so dangerously high before. In only a matter of time she had scaled both sides of the cliff and dropped lightly to her feet, relieved to stand on stable ground again.

The first thing she smelled was the salt. It stung her eyes and throat in an unnatural way she couldn't place her finger on. Even Sapphira felt uncomfortable, and dug her talons hard into Erin's shoulder. But she didn't need the warning.

Although it had been easy for her to climb the cliff, it had taken the whole day to do so. It was already quite dark out and the moon was brightly visible in the black, inky sky above. She was standing on a high rock, broken away from the cliff sometime ago. Below her was the sea, illuminated by the moon, and this gave it a strange, eerie glow. Perhaps Barnie was right; perhaps this area of the sea _was _haunted. Erin gave her head a little shake, ignoring the goose bumps crawling up the skin of her body. There was nothing to be frightened of. It was just a trick of the light, a trick of the light that the sea appeared to be casting off a green glow. She didn't fear the dark; in fact, she embraced the night as her companion.

She rested her back against a large rock and placed Sapphira in her lap, gently coaxing her somewhat frightened friend. Eventually, Sapphira drifted off into a light sleep, but Erin remained awake. Her large, gold eyes stayed open, unblinkingly gazing at the foaming torrent of water. Somehow she wasn't tired. She felt as though she drew strength from the sea- she was scared of it, and yet at the same time, somehow drawn to it.

The sky shifted, and its color began to lighten as the first touch of dawn spread itself over the vast sky. Erin was not tired in the very least, and gently placed Sapphira in her front pocket as she made her way over the cliff she was so hesitant to climb just the very day before. Somehow, she made the trip back in such little time the sun had barely risen when she landed on the opposite side. The night by the lake seemed to strengthen her. She accepted, even liked this feeling of strange, new power.

"Where _have_ you been?" whispered a voice so malevolent and filled with anger even Erin winced. Behind the frightening shadow of Matron stood Barnie and his friends, all grinning widely in triumph.


	2. The Visitor

Chapter Two: The Visitor

She supposed her punishment could have been worse. It complied of very painful whacks from Matron's cane, no supper for a week, and, to Sapphira's great dismay, she was prohibited from going outside for the next month.

However, on this particular day the sky was filling up quickly with angry storm clouds, and already the drops of heavy rain began to fall down onto the unkempt lawn of the orphanage. The room was filled with the playing orphans, to Erin's great dislike. She preferred when it was just her and Sapphira; the silence let her mull things over.

Sapphira's sudden squawk made her peer out the window, and just in time, she caught the back of someone's heel disappearing through the orphanage's doors. Who would be visiting at this time of day?

She steadied Sapphira and slid quietly around the door, making no noise as she flew down the stairs she knew led to Matron's office. It was quite a long flight, and by the time she had reached the door, the visitor had already made himself quite comfortable. Through the sliver she could see, Erin could make out the white hair of the man whose back was to her and speaking to Matron.

"… I am Hendrith Dippet," the man was saying. "And you are…?"

"Lucinda Bloor," Matron said, eyeing Dippet carefully. She extended her hand and shook his, still unsure what to make of her guest. The man withdrew his hands and folded them in his lap. "I'm sorry to take up your time, Madame Bloor," the man said in a rather feeble voice. "May I pour you some sherry, perhaps?

Erin felt the change in the air before she saw it. When she looked at Matron, her eyes seemed slightly out of focus as she watched Dippet pour her a glass of wine. And where had the wine come from? For it had definitely not been on the desk just a moment ago. Matron didn't seem to realize the wine's sudden appearance but continued to stare at her guest blankly with a glazed look.

The visitor handed her a glass of sherry and continued. "I am the headmaster of a prestigious school. We are very interested in one of your orphans attending this school." Matron's out of focus eyes seemed to slightly snap back into attention. "Orphan?"

"I believe her name is Erin Lyths." Erin froze in the doorway. Had she heard correctly? She glanced at Sapphira for confirmation, but the bird was listening in rapt attention that she didn't notice Erin's questioning stare. She turned her head back to the door, her heart thumping with- what? Excitement?

"_That_ girl?" Matron asked with obvious contempt. She gulped the glass of wine down. Erin noticed Dippet's glass remained untouched. "Of course, you needn't worry, Erin will be receiving a full scholarship," Dippet said reassuringly.

Matron finished another cup. When had it been refilled? If Erin didn't know any better, she would have thought that the glass was refilling itself. "You're giving a scholarship to Erin? Are you insane?" She belched rudely as Dippet waited silently for her continue. Erin got the feeling he had been waiting all along for Matron to tell him about her. "I mean, not that I mind, takes a hell lot of work off my shoulders. But that girl," she said, wagging a stubby finger at Dippet while still drinking the sherry. "That girl is something strange, I tell you. I remember when she first came here, yes, shipped over from halfway across Europe when she was barely eight.

"Rumor is," she said, dropping her voice to a whisper, "that she killed her own parents in an attempt to escape. House looked like it had been attacked by demons." Erin's hand tightened on the frame of the door.

"Oh?"

"Well, that's what they say." Matron sipped her sherry thoughtfully. "But she's a nuisance, she is. Never seemed to fit in, always different- and always doing weird, strange things. For instance, how did she scale that cliff?"

Erin could hear Dippet ask, "What cliff?" but his voice sounded far away and distant.

"_Alright," said the smiling teacher. "For the upcoming project I will need you all to divide into pairs of two!" The class of orphans shuffled around until everyone was partnered up except a small girl with dark hair that fell over her pale face. The young teacher quickly took this in and covered her mouth. "Oops," she giggled. "It seems we're one person short." _

_The girl's eyes flashed angrily, but the woman didn't notice and continued. "Would anyone like for Erin to join their group for three people?" Nobody volunteered, and in the silence one girl giggled awkwardly. The teacher turned to face Erin and put on what she thought was a sympathetic look. "Oops," she said again, smiling widely._

_And her smile didn't stop. It continued to travel across her face, spreading her lips thinly and drawing the skin all around her mouth. Although she was smiling, her eyes shone with fright. "Stop it!" she managed to choke out before her teeth snapped shut. Her skin appeared to be about to rip, and she cried out. The other children didn't understand what was going on, but they knew something was wrong with their teacher. A young girl in the front began to sob on her friend's shoulder. _

_Finally, when the woman's skin was a second away from tearing off her face, the dark haired girl unclenched her fist and the smile vanished, replaced instead by a shocked 'o'. "You- you… you monster!" the teacher shouted before fleeing the classroom to the shock of the orphans, who all swiveled their heads to stare accusingly at the girl. _

_She let the blood run down her palm from where her nails had dug in, controlling the woman's smile. The pain felt good._

Her senses came back to her when she heard Dippet say, "Thank you for your time, Madame Bloor. I'll go talk to Erin now." Her heart skipped a beat and she fled up the stairs, not daring to look behind her as she arrived, breathless, through the door to her room. She sat down by the window where the rain was now beating against it, and her gold eyes met Sapphira's own. They stared accusingly back at her.

Erin shifted guiltily. Sapphira always knew when she had those sudden memories, those pieces of the past. It wasn't like she was running away from who she was, but there were so many terrible memories that she would rather forget everything that had ever happened.

The door opened carefully behind her. Dippet only had to look once before he spotted her. There was no doubt from Matron's description that this was her. She was sitting alone, away from the playing children, staring out the window and absentmindedly stroking Sapphira. "Erin?" he asked in a quiet voice, as though not to alarm her. However, her head slowly swiveled from the oncoming raindrops to face him. She seemed quite unperturbed. There was silence for a moment, and then-

"How do you know my name?" She smiled to herself. She was just playing with him, pretending she had no idea who he was. This would be interesting. Dippet sat down beside her on the ledge. "Your name has been written down for my school for quite a while."

"What do you mean?" she asked, feigning disinterest. But Dippet had, quite abruptly, stood up. "I'd prefer to talk someplace more private with you, if you don't mind," he said, gazing at the playing children who had been listening with rapt attention just a few seconds ago. Erin nodded and stood up to follow him, and her eyes widened in surprise as she got a good look at him. He seemed quite normal at first glance: the same height as most other men, a short beard that was as silvery white as his hair, and a pair of rich, dark green eyes. But if she concentrated harder, she could see a faint outline of something that was neither light nor liquid; pulsing around his body was a bright blue substance that wavered and shifted at his every move.

She was astounded. Not that this was unfamiliar to her, but it was very rare she glimpsed something like this, let alone up this close. Three times before she had seen random bystanders in the street with their own strange, dancing colors around them, and it had taken her quite a while to understand that the other children could not see them.

Dippet moved out the door, and because Sapphira didn't make any sudden movements marking him as a danger, she followed him. They walked down the damp, stone corridor until they reached the end where a large, human-sized window stood, echoing the booms as the raindrops splattered against it.

He turned around, facing her, and she saw her pale, drawn face reflected in the window. Dippet cleared his throat as though he was nervous. "As I was saying before, my name is Professor Dippet, and I am the headmaster of a school called Hogwarts. It is a school for children with special abilities like yours."

He seemed to be about to say more, but she cut in. "Special abilities… like mine? There are others?" Erin frowned for a moment. And here she had been thinking it only ran through the blood of her family….

"You… know you have special abilities?" Dippet asked in surprise. Erin narrowed her eyes.

"_Stop it!" she screamed as Barnie lowered Sapphira tantalizingly close to the rippling water. The bird cawed in fright. This made the boys laugh harder. "Wanna see yer f'miliar snuff, eh, witch girl?" a boy whose name she never bothered to learn asked, grinning. He tightened his hold on her arms until she could barely fidget. Barnie dunked the bird under the water._

"_NO!"_

_His hand quickly withdrew from the water, but it wasn't from remorse. The temperature in the air had decreased drastically, and the clear, summer day was now filled with angry winds. Barnie was looking at her, clearly frightened. This just made her feel sickeningly happy. "W-whatever you're doing, stop it! I already took your bird out!"_

_But the voice that issued from her mouth was unnatural. "Get back, all of you." The wind whipped around them eerily, and it seemed to the boys that shapes were taking place in the sudden storm, shapes of dragons and tigers and all sorts of wild creatures…_

_Barnie dropped Sapphira on the ground and they ran for it, howling about witches and curses. The door to the orphanage slammed behind them. Erin gingerly picked up her companion, who wasn't harmed besides for being badly shaken. The wind subsided; her rage had gone as quickly as it had come, and she sighed. She would have to work harder on containing her anger… if she just let it out like that, next time those boys might not be so lucky._

Erin didn't acknowledge his question, but instead repeated her own, "There are others?" Dippet looked at her with wariness in his eyes.

"Yes Erin, there is a Wizarding world made up of witches and wizards that use magic in the same way you do. Hogwarts enables you to develop your powers so you can control it at your will." Erin cocked an eyebrow. She doubted that others used magic in the same way she did. "Is it normal," she began, "to see people's auras?" She waited for Dippet's reaction and was not disappointed.

"See what?"

"Auras… I can see them. I can see yours; it's almost like a periwinkle blue. I knew you were powerful the moment I saw you. Can other wizards and witches see them too?"

Erin saw confusion, shock, and worry flit across Dippet's face. "I've never met anyone who was able to see auras before," he said. Erin glowed, delighted by his answer.

"Madame Bloor was telling me that you arrived here when you were eight," said Dippet. "Do you know if your parents were also wizards and witches?"

Erin narrowed her eyes cautiously. What was he suggesting? She didn't blink. "No, they weren't," she said, an edge to her voice.

_The fire was a dancing flame, gentle in her hand. The girl gazed at it in amazement for a moment, and then ran lightly through the thin layer of snow to the river where her mother was washing the dirty clothing._

"_Mommy, Mommy, look what I can do!" The girl squealed in delight and proudly shoved her hand holding the fire in her mother's face. Her mother's eyes widened, and then she raised her own hand and knocked the flame out of the girl's hand. It fell into the snow and disappeared._

"_Stupid girl, don't ever do that again! You hear me?" She slapped the girl twice, and the girl, determined not to cry, let herself be dragged back into the house._

She was pulled back roughly by Dippet saying, "… your Hogwarts letter." He handed her a thick letter, where, emblazoned in green, was written, _Erin Lyths_. The letter was also adorned by a golden seal where a lion, badger, raven, and snake were separated into four sections. She held the letter carefully, and thought she could feel something… the letter gave her a sense of belonging, something she had not felt in years.

"It contains information about the new term, which starts September first, your train ticket, and a list of your school supplies," Dippet said. This was beginning to be much easier than he first expected. Erin raised her head from the envelope to meet Dippet's dark green eyes. "I understand I will be receiving a full scholarship," she said, "but I have no many for school supplies."

"Don't you worry, its all being taken care of," said Dippet with a small smile. "We give a starting loan to students who can't afford the necessary equipment. And while we are on the topic of school books, I very much doubt you can travel down to the nearest village and purchase a handful of spell books. No, there is a Wizarding center that supplies your materials called Diagon Alley. I can accompany you in buying-"

"No, that's alright," she cut in, her attention diverted back to Sapphira. "I'd prefer to go myself. Just tell me, exactly, how to get there."


	3. Diagon Alley

Chapter Three: Diagon Alley

Erin shielded her eyes from the bright sun as she gazed up at the large, brick wall. "What do you think, Sapphira?" she whispered. Her fingers were itching to just touch the wall. "You think this is the magical barrier that conceals an entire world of wizards?" Sapphira chirped, but Erin couldn't tell if it was from agreement or utter disbelief. She reached for a gnarled, wooden stick lying beside a trash can, which she assumed was there for this exact purpose.

She tried to recall Dippet's instructions in her head. "Three up… two across…" she muttered, tapping the wall three times in the correct spot. The effect was almost immediate. Sapphira tightened her hold on Erin's shoulder as the brick she had tapped quivered, and a hole appeared that seemed to be growing wider and wider- until a moment later they were facing an archway that opened onto a cobbled lane that twisted by the surrounding shops.

And what astounding shops they were! For although she had never really gone shopping and purchased items, she was sure anything she would have gone to would have never compared to this.

There was a store selling cauldrons- copper, brass, pewter, silver- an Apothecary, and Eeylops Owl Emporium, where most of the noise is coming from (Erin stroked Sapphira before passing by with a grin). There were shops selling robes, magical telescopes and strange instruments that scuttled around when you touched them and windows that were stacked with jars of newts' eyes and spider venom, faltering heaps of parchments and quills, potion bottles, and planetary orbs that showed you the constellations with just a single word.

Erin's head was moving too fast, trying to absorb everything she was seeing: the shops, the merchandise, even the peculiar people shopping here. There had been nothing like this back at home. She pulled out the thick wad of parchment that had come enclosed in the envelope she had received from Dippet; on it listed the first-year student requirements. Well, she supposed, looking up at the sign that read Flourish and Blotts, she might as well start with purchasing her school books.

She opened the door to the shop and stepped inside cautiously. The shop was large, and, to Erin's amazement, the shelves were stacked to the ceiling with the strangest assortment of books. They didn't seem to be in any particular order, and she had quite a lot of trouble finding the books she needed. Sapphira stared at her with her beady eyes, and Erin snarled back at her, "I can do things on my own! I didn't need that old man's help to begin with."

Checking her list again just to make sure, she mouthed _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ and looked up. "It's written by Quentin Trimble," she said quietly to Sapphira. She realized how strange it would look if someone happened to be watching her talk to her bird. "See if you can find it." Sapphira drifted off her shoulder and within moments was cawing in success; the book was on a pretty high shelf, and even from here Erin could tell it was beyond her reach.

She went over to where Sapphira was hovering and stood on the top of her feet, her hand outstretched, trying to grasp the book that was above her reach. "Just- a little further-" she mumbled to no one in particular. Her fingers brushed against it- maybe if she climbed onto the bottom shelf-

But another hand reached forward a gently pried the book out from its surrounding companions and placed it in her hands. She turned around, surprised, to see a young boy, her own age perhaps, rather taller than she was with blonde hair that clashed with his pale, pointed face. He grinned at her.

"Er- thank you," she said unsure, taken aback. The boy reached up and took his own copy, placing it in a pile of his other books. "First year at Hogwarts?" he asked, seizing her up. "My name is Scorpius; I'm a first year too."

"I'm Erin, and this is Sapphira." She pointed to the falcon, which did a half flip in midair and squawked. Scorpius laughed and Erin muttered, "_Show off_."

They both gathered their items and brought it to the front to be rung up and purchased. Erin sorted through the bag of coins Dippet had given her, trying to determine what each of the coins' values were. "Oh, are you new to this?" Scorpius asked, watching her struggle with the purchase. She noticed he sounded a bit uncomfortable and was looking around the shop as though he expected someone to jump out at them. "Where are your parents?"

"Dead," she said shortly, receiving and pocketing her change. Scorpius's expression immediately changed. "I'm really sor- you know what? My dad's busy getting me my Apothecary items. You want to get the rest of the items on the list together?"

Erin didn't need Sapphira's prod. "I'd like that," she said, smiling.

They each bought a pewter cauldron, a set of brass scales and glass phials, a telescope, and then treated themselves to multi-colored ice-cream sundaes. Their money bags considerably lighter, they slowed their pace as they enjoyed the scenery around them.

"You see that?" Scorpius sighed wistfully, pointing to a window where a large crowd was gathered. "My dad won't buy it for me- says first years aren't allowed on the team." Erin squeezed through the crowd with Scorpius on her tail to see what the commotion was about. There, on display in the window, was a broomstick. But even Erin could tell it was not an ordinary broomstick.

It was a dark, rich mahogany color with a sleek tail that was calling for Erin to just touch it. She narrowed her eyes, and she could just make out the words, "Redstar 300" written on the tag. "Price on Request" was scrawled underneath it. "Wow," whispered Scorpius, fogging up the glass with his breath. "There's no way you would be able to lose a Quidditch match flying on _that_."

"A what match?" Erin asked, confused. Scorpius rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the broomstick exhibit. "Oh, never mind."

The school uniforms didn't take as long as she had thought it would to get. Madame Malkin had been kind, all lumps and smiles, as she fitted Erin and Scorpius into their correct sized robes. When she had gone to shorten Scorpius's left sleeve, Erin tried not to voice her amazement when the measuring tapes Madame Malkin had left began to measure her themselves. She supposed this kind of thing would happen plenty of the time now.

They left the shop, their new sets of robes folded in their arms, still chatting loudly. "Scorpius?" called a drawling voice Erin instantly disliked. Scorpius froze like a deer caught in headlights. "What's wrong?" Erin asked, but he shook his head. "It's my father- I have to go." Erin checked her list. "But I still haven't gotten my wa-"

But Scorpius was already sprinting down the cobblestone path. "I'll see you on the first of September!" he called behind him before he turned the corner behind one of the shops. Sapphira gave Erin a half-sad look, and she whispered, "Yeah… see you too."

_She was sitting on a low tree branch, picking fruits and throwing them down to the small, dark haired boy, Rada, on the ground below her. "You know, Erin," he said, throwing up one of the fruits and catching it. "I'm not going to be able to just play with you after this year." The girl swung her legs over the branch and leaped down, her feet touching the ground lightly. She bit into one of the orange striped ones, the juice dribbling down her chin. "What do you mean by that?"_

"_Well, you know I'll be turning seven next week," Rada said, drawing himself up to full height. "I'll be starting the Academy, so I won't have time to play around with you. I'll have to begin my training." Erin looked at him with reproachful eyes. "You won't play with me at all? Why can't I start the Academy with you?"_

_Rada shrugged. "'Cause you don't turn seven till the year after me," he pointed out. She gazed wistfully at the Academy doors, where a lone man was whittling a piece of thick wood. "See that man?" Rada asked, following her eyes. "He's going to be my instructor- Master Ragen."_

"_He looks frightening," Erin said taking in his serene face and the two, long symmetrical gashes running down his cheeks. Rada waved his hand and said lightly, "Oh, he's not bad, I know him from my sister. The only problem is he's going to keep me working so hard I don't know when I can see you." He must have seen the sadness that crossed Erin's face because he quickly added, "But don't worry, once you're in the Academy, we can always hang out." He pulled out a flat knife and began peeling off the skin of the fruit. "After all, we'll always be friends."_

_She smiled at this. "Always? You promise?"_

_Rada grinned back. "I promise."_ _The only thing left for her to attain was a wand, which was what she had been looking forward to the most. It seemed she and Sapphira would be doing this on their own. She quickly found the narrow, shabby shop with peeling gold lettering on the door that read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. She opened the door, which emitted a tinkling noise, and she entered the dingy shop, feeling very nervous. The dust was everywhere- there didn't seem to be a single spot it didn't inhabit. Sapphira made a strangled sound that could have been a sneeze. "Hello?" she called out, her uneasiness echoing around her. "Anyone here?

"Maybe we should just leave," she whispered to Sapphira, before a ladder slid across one of the wooden shelves, and in one sweeping motion the person on it climbed off. Erin eyed the woman, unsure of what to make of her. She was small and slender, with mousy brown hair and a pinched nose. Her clothing was adorned with flashy sequins and peculiar jewelry that gave her an odd look.

Her abnormally large, silver eyes didn't blink for even a moment. "Hello there," the woman said in a surprisingly deep voice for someone so small. "First time buying a wand, I see. I'm Marigold, welcome to my shop."

"I'm Erin Lyths," she said as the woman circled her, apparently evaluating her.

Marigold nodded in confirmation and gazed at her with her wide eyes, extracting measuring tapes that hung and twisted in midair. "Which is your wand arm?"

"My right hand, I suppose," Erin said, confused. Marigold nodded again and went back to the shelves where she began to inspect the boxes they held. "My father owned this shop before I took over," she said as she pulled boxes out, shaking her head and making _tsk_ing sounds. "He was, to many, the greatest wandmaker of the century. The great Ollivander…." Marigold sighed. "I never wanted this job, you know," she said suddenly. "When my father passed away, he left me this shop. I was already running my own small fashion business-" -so that explained the gaudy jewelry she wore- "but it has been a tradition in my family for centuries to run this shop, so I felt it my duty to take this upon myself when there was no one else to do it.

"Here you go, Ms. Lyths, willow and dragon heartstring," Marigold said, breaking out of her reverie and pulling the wand out of the box. "Ten and a half inches. Nice and pliable." Erin took the wand and held it for a moment, feeling foolish. Marigold heaved a sigh. "Well, give it a wave," she said crossly. Erin glanced at Sapphira and flicked the wand, unsure what was supposed to be happening. As soon as her wrist moved in motion, Marigold snatched the wand out of her hand and clicked her tongue loudly. "No," she muttered, flinging boxes out wildly from the shelves. "No, no." She climbed onto the ladder and pulled off the topmost box from the shelf. "Try this one; cedar and Acramantula venom with just a single unicorn hair. Flexible, great for Transfiguration."

Again and again, she held the wands Marigold passed to her, and each time they were seized right back. Erin was beginning to wonder if this wasn't a hopeless cause, although Marigold's excitement seemed to grow. "I haven't had such a tricky customer for a while now!" she cried somewhat happily as she swept up the shards of a glass lamp Erin's sixteenth wand had blasted.

"Maybe…." Erin began hesitantly. "If I just chose any one of them it could work for me…." Marigold raised her eyebrows. "My dear, it's the wand that chooses the wizard, or in your case the witch!" She rummaged through the assorted boxes in the very back of the shelf- Erin noticed these were becoming more and more dusty, so she assumed they had been here longer.

Marigold looked up at Erin and stared at her eyes, and then pulled out a long, thin golden box that had a layer of filth around it. Blowing on the lid to disperse the dust, Erin reached inside and grasped the wand firmly by the handle. She jumped in surprise.

She felt unnatural warmth spreading from her hand to the rest of her body, filling her with a light and happy feeling. The wand, although she couldn't say why or how, felt right somehow in her hand; almost as though it had been shaped for her hand exactly. Sapphira squawked in delight as gold and silver sparks emitted themselves from the top of the wand and went cascading down to the ground, still shimmering in the air.

Marigold peered at her intensely, her round glasses magnifying her silvery eyes. "I'm a bit offended, Erin Lyths," she said, reaching out her hand to take back the wand. Erin was very reluctant as she released her hand and watched Marigold put it back in the box.

"Er, sorry?" Erin said hesitantly.

"Since my father left me the shop, every wand I've sold has been a make of my own. But you…." Marigold wagged a finger in Erin's direction. "You just had to have one of my father's wands, didn't you?

"He was an extraordinary man, even I could see that, but I fear he had gone somewhat mad in his old age. Nevertheless," she extracted a small object from the folds of her robes and pressed it gently into Erin's hand. It was cold. "He gave this to me, to give to the person who is chosen by this wand. Ten-and-a-half inches, ash. Phoenix feather and basilisk fang. Very strange combination, don't you think so?"

Erin gazed at the object Marigold had placed into her head. It was a small silver key, with intricate and elaborate designs on the handle. Why had Ollivander, a man she didn't know, left this key for her? Marigold fixed her pale eyes on her again. "I had expected the owner of this wand to do great things. I still do. The power that you have, that has made this wand accept your being, is a great gift and a terrible burden all at once. It is entirely up to you to decide which one of those it shall be."

Erin felt chills that had nothing to do with the draft creep up her arms. "I'll just pay for that now, shall I?" she asked, and paid seven gold Galleons for her wand, leaving the shop in quite a hurry. Marigold stood in the window, illuminated by the single light on the inside, watching Erin with her widened and never blinking eyes until Erin turned the corner and Marigold was out of sight.


	4. Platform Nine and Three Quarters

**Chapter Four: Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters**

The remainder of the summer holiday passed by too quickly for Erin's liking. In fact, she wouldn't have minded entirely if she just remained in Diagon Alley- both she and Sapphira had grown deeply attached to it the time they spent there.

The pub she had originally gone through to reach Diagon Alley, the Leaky Cauldron, also accommodated rooms in the upstairs for traveling visitors or people who could not afford anywhere else. Erin did not mind at all, and was delighted in staying in what she looked at as a magical motel. The mirror in her room talked- yes, actually talked!- in a strange wheezing voice- she was served three delicious meals a day that was included in her room fee- and was also free to roam Diagon Alley at her pleasure.

Because she had already purchased all her school supplies, Erin used up the last few days before school either gazing at the broomstick in the shop window, or passing by her absolute favorite sight in Diagon Alley.

It was a large, blinding white building that towered over the little shops. Erin liked to think of it as the powerful ruler, lording all over its groveling subjects. It was bold and majestic, but she had never been inside- from the snatches of conversations she had picked up, it was Gringotts, the wizarding bank. She had no need of a bank, and so therefore just gazed wistfully at it, wondering what sort of treasures could be inside.

But summer was over, and with a heavy heart she put the finishing touches to her luggage and looked out the window adoringly, as though this would be the last time she would see Diagon Alley again. She touched the glass of the window softly, as though reaching out to touch the village itself, but a voice called from outside her door and broke her thoughts.

"Erin?" There was a sharp tap on the door, and she opened it rather reluctantly. It was Tom, the landlord, and she knew if he was here it was time for her to leave. "I have just spoken with the Headmaster," he said with a lisp. "Your train leaves at eleven today, so I will drive you to King's Cross… are you all set?

She glanced questioningly at Sapphira, who at the moment was hovering above her open suitcase, evaluating all the items (rather few) that had been packed. At last, she gave a satisfied chirp, and Erin turned to Tom, grinning nervously. "I'm ready."

They were able to reach the station in quite some time, although Erin suspected Tom had used magic to cheat his way through the unmovable line of traffic they had run into. He courteously opened the door for her and she stepped out, thanking him as he got a cart for her to place her luggage on. Sapphira remained, as always, on her shoulder.

"Your ticket," he said, handing her the small paper. "And don't forget, walk right into the barrier between platform nine and ten- best do it on a run for your first time. Would you like me to-"

"No," Erin cut in firmly. "I'll be fine on my own. Thank you for your hospitality. I expect I'll see you in a year." Out of the corner of her eye she watched him drive off in the car, jumping ahead of two cars in front of him and suddenly disappearing after cutting in front of a Ferrari. Erin wheeled her luggage into the station, her head twisting at every platform number she saw before she reached platform nine and ten.

There was nothing spectacular about the barrier that stood in between- nothing to hint that beyond it was the way into the wizarding world. She gazed at barrier, her heart hammering in her chest. It seemed very much solid to her. And she was supposed to walk through it?

Very casually, she leaned forward and walked toward the barrier, slowly picking up her pace so she wouldn't be able to stop in case she backed down. She was going to smash, and she knew it! She was right before it, running now, and she was going to crash into it, and then where would she be? She winced for a moment, dreading the impact…

But instead felt Sapphira's claws tighten on her shoulder, and felt something smooth brush against her, almost like a gentle breeze. The station she had momentarily been standing had completely changed, and her eyes glanced around in shock. People were packed at a platform where a scarlet steam engine was waiting for them, with a sign overhead that said Hogwarts Express, eleven o'clock. _She had done it_.

"We're here," she breathed softly, looking at Sapphira with happiness. "And I wasn't scared at all!" she lied to her, throwing her an offended look when Sapphira's eyes bubbled with laughter.

Her gold eyes shone with wonder as she watched children, her age and older, hug their parents goodbye, and watched their parents kiss them affectionately on their heads, saying they would see them soon with tears in their eyes. Her heart constricted and she felt a pang of- what?

There were groups of children spread out across the platform, comparing items and just having a good laugh. Was she going to be the only stranger here? Already students had boarded the train, and they were leaning out the window, grinning widely as they called their last farewells to their families. "Goodbye, mum!" A girl with wavy brown and freckles plastered over her face was hanging out the window, waving to some unseen parent. "I'll miss you, Mum!"

_She had no mother to miss_.

She ignored Sapphira's stare; she'd rather not talk about what she was feeling right now. She pressed on through the crowd, searching for an empty compartment. However, all the compartments were filled with friends, students chatting with each other and laughing excitedly for the new year. She had no intention whatsoever of joining these random strangers; after all, she was perfectly capable of sitting alone.

Sapphira nipped her ear to get her attention, and Erin saw, in the compartment nearest to her, the back of a boy's head with pale, blonde hair. She smiled to herself and opened the door, causing him to jump in surprise. "Mind if I sit here?" she asked tentatively, unsure of what his response would be. But Scorpius grinned back. "Sure, no problem, I'm sure there's enough room for the both of us." She nodded and struggled to lift her luggage up to the compartment, and he rushed forward to help her bring it in.

As soon as they had settled, Erin heard a clock chime eleven somewhere even amid the entire din, and felt the train begin to move. The steam engulfed the air around them, and misshapen figures could be seen through the grey waving and shouting as the train rolled past them. Neither Scorpius nor Erin leaned out their window for final farewells, and when the train finally picked up enough speed and rounded the bend, they both settled comfortably into their seats.

In the momentary silence, Sapphira glided over to the cage Scorpius was resting his arm on and peered inquisitely at the bird inside it. It was an eagle, black and grey spotted and handsome with somewhat haughty looking eyes, and sheen to its wings. Scorpius caught Erin looking and said, "That's Skree, my eagle. My father had one too when he was in school- it's a Pureblood tradition to receive an eagle for your eleventh birthday."

"I found Sapphira when I was younger," she said softly, stroking Sapphira's head. Scorpius nodded and asked, "You told me that your parents- about your parents. Where do you live during the year?" Erin rolled her eyes. "St. Peter's Orphanage- their one goal in life is to make me miserable, mark my words."

Scorpius laughed. "I'm not joking," Erin said, grinning. "You've never met Matron." She told him all about Matron and even some of the "accidental" magical mess-ups she had done before Dippet had told her about the wizarding world. "I'm honestly just thrilled to be here," she said, gazing out the window at the ever changing scenery. "I had no friends at the orphanage… they all called me 'witch-girl'; you know, because of all the strange things that happened."

"I guess that's the worst thing about being Muggle-born," Scorpius said, not noticing Erin's questioning face to the unfamiliar word. "There's no one tell you that you're a wizard, and you just keep unleashing your magic without knowing what you're doing. And that must have been strange for you; developing your powers at seven, being so different than everyone at such an early age." Erin frowned. "You develop your magical powers when you're seven?" Scorpius nodded. "Yeah, everyone knows that. That's when Hogwarts starts Tracing you for any magical signs. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone coming out with their abilities before turning seven."

_Mommy, Mommy, look what I can do!_

_Stupid girl, don't ever do that again! You hear me?_

Scorpius smiled. "Anyway, I guess I got lucky because live in Serpens Antrum- it's strictly an only Pureblood area, so I already have friends going to Hogwarts… besides for you, of course." Erin smiled back. "So where are they know? I'd like to meet them." He hesitated for a moment. "Maybe they'll by later- my friends are, er, busy right now."

The way he said it made Erin drop the subject. Instead, they chatted for a while about their pasts, Erin careful not to let him know too much. Mostly, she listened to Scorpius and realized there was much about him she had not first noticed.

"… Not that I mind being friends with them," he said, leaning back comfortably. "It's just that my father's constantly pushing me, and I feel I just have to do it because that is what is expected of me. I've always wondered-" But exactly what he was wondering, Erin never found, because at that very moment the compartment door was thrown open roughly. A number of students admitted themselves in, rowdy and already in their school robes.

The boy in the front chortled. He was quite unattractive, with distorted features that gave him a permanent scowl. "Well, look what we have here," he said, shoving the heavy, curly haired boy beside him. Scorpius narrowed his eyes. "Shut up, Mulciber." This made them laugh harder. Erin noticed the only ones of their new guests that did not find the situation funny were a sallow skinned boy with dark hair that covered half his face, and a girl in the back that was hidden in the shadows.

The boy, Mulciber, grinned. "Is that any way to talk to your friend? What do you think, Goyle? Maybe he thinks he's superior to us- do you think that, Scorpius? That you and your little girlfriend here are better than us?" His friend Goyle chuckled stupidly and Scorpius cast his eyes down. "I don't think that," he muttered. "And she's not my girlfriend," he added defensively. Erin remained silent the entire time, her hands shaking strangely. _She must remain calm…_

"So, what's your name?" Mulciber had taken the seat beside her, and was containing his laughter. When she didn't answer, he pressed on. "You a Pureblood?" Erin stared at him with unfathomable eyes. "Apparently not; I was born in an orphanage." Scorpius groaned, but Erin was the only one who heard him. However, at her answer, Mulciber grinned even wider. "You're a _Mudblood_? Scorpius, I never would have thought you, of all people…" She felt a strong pair of hands grab her arms and wrench her upright, to the jeers of the boys. Goyle gave a shove and sent her flying through the open compartment door.

She saw Scorpius gazing down at his feet, avoiding her eyes, and the girl staring out the window with her hands in two balled fists. Goyle's ugly face was inches away from hers. "This here compartment is for Purebloods _only_!" And he slammed the door on her face.

_It was autumn, and the leaves were in the midst of their color change. Even the sky was made up of prominent orange, pink, purple, and blue brushstrokes. It was the perfect picture; all except for the lone girl, sitting silently on a wooden swing hanging from an old oak tree. Even from here she could hear the raised voices from inside. "… We had her for over two months already!" She could hear the man, Mr. Fawcett, saying. "And you'd think as her foster parents, we'd made some connection? But no! She won't talk, she barely eats- she won't allow us to get to her. Its like she wants to be left alone!"_

_That is what I want, fools, she though savagely. She did feel a twinge of regret. The Fawcetts had been very kind, and under normal circumstances she would have liked them… but she could not allow that. She could not allow for herself to become emotionally attached to anyone, for she would just lose them too. Love… what was the meaning of it? It was just a weakness. _

"_And it's not just that," said a frenzied woman's voice that she knew belonged to plump Mrs. Fawcett. "She scares the children, she does! I don't know what she does, but strange things seem to happen around her and-"_

"_Alright, Mrs. Fawcett, that's enough," cut in a deep man's voice. With a nervous drop in her stomach, she realized it belonged to Mr. Thomas, the man who ran the orphanage. "We will file your complaints- and I'll go talk to her." She heard the door open and looked down at her toes, pretending not to have noticed Mr. Thomas approaching the swing. They waited a few moments in silence- he was clearly waiting for her to begin talking- until he finally spoke. _

"_Erin, Erin, Erin," he said three times. She hated when adults did that. "What are we going to do with you? This is your fifth foster home in the past year and it's still not good enough. What's wrong?" She didn't answer. "Is it because you're afraid of starting a new family?" When she continued to remain silent, Mr. Thomas turned his back to her and said, "In any case, we'll have to be sending you back to the orphanage." _

_Erin remained silent. When Mr. Thomas made a movement to turn around, Erin burst out, "Can't you do something else? I don't want to go back there!"_

"_I've done enough," he said sternly, sounding tired for the first time. And as he walked away, she could hear his unsaid thoughts… _there's no hope for you…

She clenched her fist tightly and proceeded to the back of the carriage. Always the loner, by herself, least wanted, and least loved… _there's no hope for you._


	5. Friends on the Hogwarts Express

**Chapter Five: The Best Friends Are Always Made on the Hogwarts Express**

She slowly made her way towards the back of the carriage, Sapphira making angry spitting noises from her shoulder. With a jolt, Erin realized she had left her trunk in the compartment with them, but she would just have to wait until the reached their destination in order to go and get it.

It didn't bother her that the boys had thrown her out- no; she was too used to being shoved around. What had really hurt her was the way Scorpius had sat there and done _nothing._ He hadn't stuck up for her, hadn't stopped them from pushing her out- nothing. And she had thought they were friends. "Well, Sapphira, I've learned my lesson," she said gloomily, peering into compartments only to find them already full. "I knew I shouldn't get close to anybody- they just end up letting you down."

Sapphira shook her head, but Erin ignored her and pressed on past the compartments. She doubted she would find an empty one by this time around, and by the time she had reached the end of the carriage she still had nowhere to sit. She peered, unsure, into the last compartment to her left; from what she could see, inside was a kind faced boy with untidy black hair as dark as hers and glasses, chatting animatedly with the freckly brown haired girl she had seen lean out the window. She couldn't see the boy sitting behind the dark haired one but she saw him nod his head enthusiastically. She turned to Sapphira. "What do you think?"

Before Sapphira could answer, the compartment door slid open, and suddenly the dark haired boy was standing before her, smiling. "Would you like to join us?" he asked politely, moving out of the way to make room for her. She felt a bit uneasy, but moved into the compartment anyway. "Thanks, everywhere else is full." Erin gazed around, trying to determine what her new companions would be like. They all seemed friendly enough. "Albus Potter," the dark haired boy said, pointing to himself. He gestured to the girl across from him. "And this is my cousin, Rose Weasley."

"I'm Erin… Erin Lyths." It felt strange introducing herself to a group of kids who did not snarl when they heard her name. She turned her eyes inquiringly to the only person who had not introduced himself: a dirty blonde haired boy with the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. They looked almost sad. He looked up, as though taking in her features and answered carefully. "My name is Nick."

"What's your surname?"

"Where're you from?" he asked almost immediately. She saw Rose's eyes narrow suspiciously. So she wasn't the only one who noticed Nick had evaded the question. "Orphanage," Erin said simply. No need to go further than that. Albus looked up, glee on his face.

"An orphanage? Oh, does that mean you're a Muggleborn?" There it was, that silly word again. "But then, you don't know anything about Hogwarts!" He leaned forward going into depth about the different things he had heard from his parents, Rose and Nick occasionally cutting in to voice their opinions.

A rosy faced woman with a food trolley came passing by after a while, and Erin's companions had jumped to their feet in eagerness. She remained alone in the compartment, looking at the fast fading scenery out the train window. From the money Dippet had given her for school supplies, she only had what they called two Knuts left. She pulled out a sandwich from her bag and unwrapped it, staring distastefully at the lump of soggy bread.

"Do you want some of mine?" Albus said, returning with an armful of sweets. Erin felt her stomach grumble, but she shook her head. "No, its fine, I don't want to take your-"

"Oh don't be silly," said Rose, coming in with Nick behind her. "Do you really expect us to let you eat that lump of a sandwich?" They pooled all their items on the compartment seats and Erin smiled to herself. It was actually quite nice, eating their way through all the sweets as though they were… She laced her fingers together as the word rebounded itself through her head.

_Friends._ She liked the sound of that. She had never had real friends before, to laugh with, to talk with, share sweets with… and what strange sweets they were! For although she had never really had an assortment of snacks at the orphanage, she knew they didn't supply anything close to what her new friends had bought from the trolley. There were Fizzing Whizbees, Sugar Quills, and even Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans: colored jelly beans that had every possible flavor imaginable! The Chocolate Frogs were by far her favorite, for they came with small cards of famous witches and wizards that _moved_. After she voiced her amazement, she was told that all portraits and pictures in the Wizarding world moved. This made her feel uncomfortable about how little she really knew.

"What house do you think you'll be Sorted in?" Nick asked between a mouthful of Bertie Botts beans. Erin finished chewing the Chocolate Frog. "House?" Rose leaned forward. "You get Sorted into one of the four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Raveclaw, and Slytherin." Erin had a vivid memory of the seal of the lion, badger, raven, and snake. "I personally think I'll be in Gryffindor (both my parents were there, after all), but I'm also considering Ravenclaw- it sounds enticing."

Albus nodded enthusiastically. "That's where I want to go, Gryffindor… _where the brave dwell at heart_…" Then he looked unsure. "Only thing is, I'm not sure I fit the description of 'brave and courageous'." Nick shrugged. "But your whole family has been in Gryffindor, right? I mean, your father is _Harry Potter_, so there's no doubt about your placement." Erin noticed the way he said Harry Potter as though speaking of someone of great importance. Who was Albus's father? "But me… well, lets just say most of my family hasn't really been the Gryffindor type. More like Slytherin."

Rose had the same suspicious look on her face, but Albus cracked into a grin and playfully punched Nick in the shoulder. "Slytherin? And to think I was actually considering becoming friends with you!" Nick smiled back, though Erin could see it was reluctant. She could no longer contain herself. "What is so terrible about this Slytherin?"

Rose hesitated. "Well, I'm not sure what it is, but anyone who's ever been in Slytherin has gone…" she cast an apologetic look at Nick before saying, "Bad. I guess it's the whole power-hungry and ambitious thing; they're Sorted into Slytherin, so all that goes to their head and drives them mad."

Erin was silent for a moment as she took this in. "Still, better than Hufflepuff, my dad always says," Rose said grinning, causing the others to laugh. Erin didn't really understand the joke, but it felt good to laugh. Then suddenly, for the second time that day, the compartment door was flung open. Four boys marched in and Albus moaned, sinking lower in his seat. "Hi, James." Erin noticed the top of Albus' forehead turned considerably red.

James flicked a strand of brown hair out of his eyes and smirked widely back at him. "How are you doing, little brother? I don't think you introduced me to your friends…" he peered distastefully around the carriage. "Anyway, I brought some of my pals, they were so eager to meet you. This is Felix Corner, Alexander McLaggen, and Jace Moon." One by one the boys stepped forward with a "Hey, little Potter" as James called their names. "So, this is your first year, huh, Albus?" McLaggen laughed. "Better watch out for Peeves- he likes to mess with you guys big time." Albus threw them a look, and they laughed harder.

McLaggen continued. "And if you get on the wrong side of those thestrals…" Albus's eyes grew wide, and James chuckled. "I told you I wasn't joking about them!" At this point, however, Jace intervened. "C'mon guys, that's enough. Leave them alone. I hear Onniker got a real fire breathing chipmunk, and I want to go check it out." James shrugged, and reluctantly said, "Alright guys, let's go. We'll always get to see Albus and his friends around school." They left; shutting the door to the compartment behind them, and in unison six pairs of eyes stared at Albus.

"As you must have noticed, my brother, James," he said for Erin and Nick's benefit. She noticed he said it rather glumly and could understand why. She hadn't exactly liked James at first glance. "I'm always living in my brother's shadow. You saw how he was: popular, outgoing, cool. I want to get into Gryffindor, but if I do, it's no big deal, because he's already done it. It's really annoying having a brother like that."

_At least your brother isn't a killer._

Erin peered out the window to take her mind off things, and noticed how dark it was becoming. "I think we're nearly there," she said, trying to make out any landmarks through the speeding darkness. Rose stood up, rummaging through her bags. "We'd better get changed into our robes, then." Erin sucked in her cheeks. "I think I'll just change into mine afterwards- I left my bags in a compartment with a bunch of people, and I'd rather not go back there." Nick turned around. "Where's the compartment?" After she told him where the compartment and her luggage was, he opened the door and casually walked out. "Where are you going?" she called after him. He didn't turn around. "I'll get you your robes."

"But you-" Erin tried, but Nick interrupted. "Trust me," he said darkly. "I probably know them." He walked down towards the front of the train, leaving Erin to go back inside with Albus and Rose. Rose was talking in a low voice to Albus. "Al, I don't know how much we can trust him," she said, already in her robes. "There's something fishy about him, I know there is! Didn't you notice he kept avoiding questions about his last name? And his entire family has been in Slytherin!" Albus looked up and met Erin's eyes, and rolled his eyes. "That doesn't mean he's different than his family, Rose. I say we give him a chance. And by the way, Erin," (Rose spun around; she hadn't noticed Erin reenter the compartment), "I've been meaning to ask you about your falcon." He pointed at Sapphira. "You don't keep her in a cage?"

Sapphira chirped angrily. "Keep her in a cage!" Erin cried in disbelief. "That would kill her- she's a wild animal, afterall!" Albus laughed. "No offense was intended," he said, inclining his head slightly to the bird. Rose smiled too, but her grin was wiped off her face as the door to the compartment slid open and Nick reentered, holding a bundle of clothing in his hands. He beamed at Erin. "I got your robes."

Her eyes widened in gratitude, and she took the clothing from his arms. "Thank you so much, Nick!" she said happily, taking off her jacket and pulling on the long black robe. He shrugged. "It was no problem. They were eager to let me in."

"We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken to the school separately." A voice echoed through the train, and Erin felt her stomach twist itself into a knot. They were here already? She didn't have anytime to prepare herself for what was coming. She glanced around and saw she wasn't the only worried one; all three of her friends looked suddenly pale and peaky. They all joined the crowd thronging the corridor, none of them talking, contemplating what lay ahead.

The train slowed down considerably and then eventually stopped. The students pushed each other on their way to the door and out onto the platform. Erin, shivering from the cold, noticed that none of the first years had brought their pets with them. "Sapphira," she said through chattering teeth. "I think it'd be best if you waited for me in the room." Sapphira understood, and in one sweeping motion, glided off her shoulder and was lost in the night.

A hand suddenly pulled her back, and she spun around until she was staring into a set of blue eyes. "You never really told me where you're from," Nick said, his eyes concentrating hard on something. Erin shrugged carelessly. "I'd rather not talk about it. And besides, you never told me your surname."

Nick shook his head, ignoring her comment. "It's just that… you have strange eyes, you know that? And I'm sure I've seen them somewhere, but on a boy, I think. If you just told me…" But she didn't hear the rest of his sentence. She felt her insides turn to ice. Her eyes on a boy, he had said. Could it be…?

"Hey you guys, where do you reckon we go from here?" came a voice from behind them. Albus was there, accompanied by Rose. Almost at once, they heard a voice call out, "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

Erin's mouth dropped open, and she closed it immediately, looking around to make sure no one had noticed. Standing before them was a man of such abnormal size he couldn't possibly be completely human. He had a graying, shaggy beard that gave him a wild look, and she backed up immediately. However, to her surprise, Albus's face shone brightly. "Hagrid!" he cried happily, and Rose smiled too. The large man, Hagrid, broke out into a bushy grin. "Albus, good to see yeh! I'll talk with yeh later- FIRS' YEARS! Is that all for yeh? Alright, mind yer step now- follow me!"

The group of first years followed Hagrid down a slippery, narrow path through dense, dark trees. Nobody spoke, though Erin could feel Rose breathing nervously beside her. Suddenly, the path opened suddenly onto the edge of a black lake, and the students all gasped in wonder. There, perched atop a high mountain on the other side of the water, was a vast castle with sparkling windows and uncountable towers.

"Yeah, that's Hogwarts," said Hagrid wistfully, beaming at it. "Hey you there, no more'n four to a boat!" he called out to six students trying to squeeze themselves into the little boat. Erin found herself, unsurprisingly, sitting in the same small boat as Albus, Nick, and Rose. Albus shook his head and muttered, "And James was telling me you ride the actual thestrals to school!" Erin tried to laugh but couldn't; her voice had bunched itself up from nerves.

Hagrid settled himself into his own boat, and shouted, "Everyone in?" A few of the first years acknowledged feebly, and he raised a pink umbrella, saying, "Right then- FORWARD!"

At that moment, the fleet of boats glided across the smooth surface of the lake. Erin's companions tipped their heads back to see the great castle overhead, growing larger and larger as they sailed nearer to the cliff on which it stood. The first boats reached the cliff, and they all ducked their heads as they passed through a curtain of ivy hiding a wide opening in the cliff face. The water swept them through a dark tunnel that seemed to be underneath the castle, and they stopped before a harbor made of rocks and pebbles. Everyone scrambled out onto the ground and followed Hagrid's bobbing lantern, out the passageway and up a flight of stone steps that led in front of a massive, oak front door.

A thought traveled, unbidden, through her mind. _She was home_.


	6. The Sorting Hat is Always Right

**Chapter Six: The Sorting Hat**

_Her eyes were closed, but they fluttered open a bit each time she breathed lightly. She slept, but subconsciously she knew she would have to awake soon. She hadn't eaten for two days, and she would have to scavenge the dumpsters again. Her falcon, too, was asleep beside her, curled up in the dust behind the trash bin, but her beady eyes snapped open in alertness. She screeched once, but the warning was not enough for the girl. Before she could fully adjust herself, the large shadows loomed over her._

_The men gazed down at her, and surrounded the two before she could even react. "We finally found you," one of them said, but not unkindly. His friend grimaced. "There have been sightings of her for a while, but the squad could never find her." He bent down on his knees until he was her height. "She's filthy. How long have you been on your own, girl?"_

_She opened her mouth, but speech seemed to have eluded her. She tried again and this time the words came out. "A few months, maybe," she whispered feebly, clutching her long hair in a fist. The men hissed. "And where are your parents? Any family?" She raised her large, gold eyes to stare at them, and they gazed into them, each of them shivering a bit. The girl made a funny noise. "Dead," she murmured; her hand shook as it rested on her falcon's head. "All dead."_

_One of the men helped her stand, eying her scraggly clothes with something like contempt. "You have no home, do you?" She shook her head. _

"_What do you reckon we do with her?" he asked, looking at his partners for an answer. A dark skinned man beside him said, "We can't notify the state. They'd her die, they can't risk saving an orphan in this famine."_

"_So what do you suggest?"_

_The man stroked his chin thoughtfully, and then smiled at the girl, revealing several gold teeth. "I know some people who can bring her overseas," he said, seizing her up. "She'd be safe there; they'd set her up in a home."_

_The girl closed her eyes and allowed herself to be dragged away, and wondered to herself what a home was._

The door swung open almost immediately after Hagrid knocked, and there stood a tall, grey-haired witch in emerald-green robes. Her lips were pulled into a thin, narrow line that gave her a stern look. "Here they are, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid. Professor McGonagall's dark eyes seemed cold and emotionless. "Thank you, Hagrid."

Hagrid inclined his head and she pulled the door open wide, allowing the first years to step inside out of the cold and into the warmth. They gazed around with open mouths at the entrance hall, which was so large Erin imagined that the entire orphanage would have been able to fit inside, maybe even two of them. They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor, and Erin thought she could hear the chattering of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right- but Professor McGonagall steered the first years into a small chamber off the hall, away from the awaiting students. Erin noticed groups of friends draw together nervously, and she crossed her arms and tried to look brave.

Professor McGonagall's voice seemed magnified when she spoke. "Welcome to Hogwarts," she said as an introduction. "Before you take your seats in the Great Hall for the start-of-term banquet, you will be sorted into your respective houses. The Sorting ceremony is very important here because while you are students, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts."

_Light… Laughter… Happiness… The four of them were sitting in a meadow, a checkered blanket spread out beneath their feet. The girl sat beside her brother, his arm around her shoulders as they laughed loudly. Her mother smiled and opened the basket, beginning to take out the food and placing it on the small, fragile plates that had been laid out. The girl's father too was smiling, and they each delicately ate a bit of each portion of the food. _

_A quiet, gentle breeze swept over the family. It was so peaceful, it couldn't possibly last. But yet they were still there, all together as one family. The girl raised her head and let the sun's warmth reflect off her face. The rays flickered on her cheeks like delicate crystals, and she closed her eyes. She loved them, these pleasant, happy moments. _

_She felt something squeeze her hand and opened her eyes to see her brother, holding her hand and smiling. "I know," he said, murmuring. "I love this too." And she smiled widely, knowing nothing would ever bring them apart; they would always be together. One happy family; together forever, through life and death._

"At the end of the year," Professor McGonagall was saying. "The house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I truly hope each of you will be an asset to whichever house you belong to. Now, the Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes time, in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up before you are Sorted. I shall return shortly."

She left the chamber. Almost at once, the entire mass of waiting students erupted in loud, nervous jabbers. Erin felt something squeeze her stomach uncomfortably. "How exactly will we be sorted?" she asked vaguely. Albus looked a bit peaky. "It's some sort of test, I suppose. I think my dad mentioned something about a hat, but James was going on about fighting off a dragon and differentiating a chimera from a pack of hedgehogs…"

Erin's eyes widened and she felt herself go pale. She would be performing magic in front of the entire school? But she hadn't learned anything yet! She peered around fretfully and caught Rose's eye, who shook her head, annoyed. "What are you going on about, Al? I don't know if you've realized yet, but everything James says doesn't tend to be accurate. _M__y_ mum told me that you try on a hat that can read all your thoughts and memories, and uses your personality traits to determine what house you belong too."

Erin never thought she would ever feel so frightened in her life. Suddenly, the thought of fighting off a dragon seemed charming compared to this new idea of the Sorting. This hat, whatever it was, could look into _her mind_. It would be able to see every detail, every memory that had ever occurred, every thought she was thinking now, and worst of all, it was in front of the entire school. She herself couldn't face her own past; what was she going to do when something now could penetrate the deeper layers of her mind?

"Are you alright, Erin?" Nick asked concernedly, peering closely at her face. "You're looking a bit green." Erin took in a deep breath and forced a smile. "No, I'm fine; just a bit nervous."

"Well, well, if it isn't little Potter," came a drawling voice from behind them. It was Mulciber, flanked by a scrawny boy with a large nose whose name she didn't know, Goyle, and-

Scorpius. He met her eyes and then quickly looked away, pretending not to have seen her. Albus spun around, surprised, and Nick took a step forward, his arms crossed. "Hello, Mulciber," Nick said evenly. He nodded his head toward the others. "Malfoy, Goyle, Nott." The four boys glared at him and he grinned. "Did you want to say something to Albus?"

One of them took a step forward until they were an inch apart from both Albus and Nick. "You two better watch your backs," Scorpius said. Then he addressed his next words to Albus only. "Just because your father is the famous Harry Potter, doesn't mean you should expect the royal treatment. Let's see if his _second_ best son can live up to the name." Mulciber and Nott laughed, but Goyle's was more of a snort. Albus narrowed his eyes. "If you want to-"

"Is there a problem here, gentlemen?" came a stern voice. They all turned around with mock smiles plastered on their faces. "No, Professor McGonagall," said Mulciber, smiling sickeningly. "Just a friendly chat between a few old friends." He patted Albus's shoulder, none to gently, and walked off with his friends trailing after him. Professor McGonagall's lips were stretched tight, and she glared at Nick as though it were his fault. Erin shuddered. She would not want to be caught under those glares.

"Alright now, everyone ready? The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin," Professor McGonagall said in a sharp voice. "Form a line and follow me." Erin's legs did not seem to want to move, but Rose gave her a small shove from behind and whispered, "Go!" in her ear. Nick and Albus were in front of her, as they walked, almost marched, in a single file out of the chamber and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Although she was in a state of panic, a small part of Erin acknowledged that she had never seen anything as magnificent and splendid as this. The Great Hall was lit by innumerable floating candles that were in midair above four long tables that were adorned by the rest of the students. However, what caught Erin's attention most were the shining, pearly silver beings that floated among the students and occasionally paused for a small chat. She nudged Nick. "Is that a ghost?" Nick harrumphed. "Well, its transparent, floating, and certainly dead, so for the sake of this discussion, we shall assume that is a ghost." He turned face forward again, and she stuck out her tongue at his back. She supposed he coped with anxiety by being irritable.

Standing on her toes in a fruitless attempt to see over the line of students, Erin shifted sideways to watch Professor McGonagall place a four-legged stool before them, and then, with great care, put a very old and patched hat on top of it. She barely heard Rose whisper, "I told you so." Her worst fears had been confirmed.

She noticed everyone was staring at the hat, and peered to see why. The hat, remarkably, was now twitching. Erin glanced around to see if Professor McGonagall was casting a spell on it, but she too was staring at it silently. Erin looked back at the hat just as a rip near the brim appeared, wide, like a mouth, and the hat jerked to life.

"_Oh, I'm no silent object_

_Nor a decisive, reasoning man_

_But in this brain that I contain_

_I see everything, I can_

_The founders four have given me_

_The knowledge to sort all you_

_And each of their great attributes_

_Are hidden deep in you_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And it's my job to see_

_Where each of you just might belong_

_Although it's very hard for me_

_With all this wisdom I contain_

_I separate you, nonetheless_

_Into four different directions_

_Please do not judge me any less_

_Your heart might be with Gryffindor_

_Where the bravest dwell within_

_Full of daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_There is no doubt of win_

_Or you may belong in Hufflepuff_

_Where those are kind and just_

_Their loyalty is unwavering_

_And their hearts are filled with trust_

_Or your brain may call to Ravenclaw_

_Where those who have great wit_

_Can meet their rivals of the mind_

_The bulb to learning lit_

_Or perhaps your ambitions bring you elsewhere_

_To Slytherin, no doubt_

_Where those cunning folk are sly and smooth_

_The hesitators are out_

_So here you are, the Hogwarts four_

_Divided each a house_

_And it is my obligation to_

_Sort even the lowest louse_

_So try me on! Don't be afraid!_

_I know the real true you_

_So just place me onto your head_

_And I shall then sort you!"_

The entire hall burst into a thunderous applause as the Sorting Hat finished its song. Erin was the only one who did not clap. She stood there, pale and rigid; she feared the very thing the hat had told them not to worry about… _I know the real true you_. Could the hat really see inside her head, her memories, her desires… everything? What would happen if she refused to try it on? Would she be denied access into Hogwarts?

Professor McGonagall had said something, but Erin had been too lost in thought to hear her. Now she pulled out a long roll of parchment and called out, "Abercrombie, Gina!" A girl with blonde hair messily arranged into two long braids stumbled out of line and stuck the hat on her head, sitting down on the stool. The hall was silent again, and they all stood there watching, waiting for something to happen when-

"HUFFLEPUFF!" came a shout from the hat. The table on the right gave a booming applause as Gina went to join them at the Hufflepuff table. Erin's stomach jolted as she saw a rather fat looking ghost waving merrily at Gina.

Both "Boot, Houston" and "Cattermole, Ronald" went to Ravenclaw, but "Geller, Michelle" became the first Gryffindor, and the table on the far left gave a loud roar. Amanda smiled nervously and took her seat among them as Scorpius's friend, "Goyle, Vincent" was sorted into Slytherin. Erin couldn't say that it had been a surprise.

Someone made a funny retching noise beside her; she turned around to see Nick, breathing really fast and looking like he was going to puke. Before she could ask him if he was doing okay, Professor McGonagall's eyes widened in slight surprise and her voice rang out through the hall.

"Grindelwald, Nicholas!"

The silence seemed hostile. Everywhere Erin turned, the looks on people's faces were either contempt or fear, and she immediately felt closer to Nick. Those were the same faces that used to surround her. She even thought she saw Rose take a small step back from him after casting an "I told you so" look at Albus. Nick glared defiantly at Erin, as though daring her to do the same as Rose, but she didn't flinch, and she thought she saw him smile appreciatively. What was making all these people loathe him on the spot?

He quickly left the line and sat on the stool, roughly jamming the hat over his head until he could no longer see the staring crowd. Rose leaned forward until she was breathing into Albus's ear, but she was looking at Erin and talking to her too. "I told you- I knew it, I knew he was no good," she whispered savagely. "Grindelwald," she said for Erin's benefit. "Was a dark wizard, from a long time ago, who tried to take over and rid the world of non-magic folk. I didn't even know he had relatives."

"And so what if he is related to Grindelwald?" Albus said, throwing Rose a look. "It doesn't mean he's going to go out and destroy the world, too. Nick's different, I tell you- I can feel it."

The students all waited in silence as Nick sat rigidly on the stool. The hat seemed to be taking much longer for Nick than it had for the others. Finally, after what seemed like ages, the brim of the hat twitched and-

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The applause was somewhat less enthusiastic than it had been for the other sorted students, but Erin supposed it was from the shock that even she felt radiate from the Sorting Hat's selection. All around her, people were whispering and muttering in low voice as Nick made his way to the Gryffindor table. Erin noticed the pats on his back seemed rather held back.

A good few more names were called, until both "Hopal, Trent" and "Lee, Bernard" were Sorted into Ravenclaw. And then-

"Lyths, Erin!"

Erin could feel her insides screaming. Her legs had suddenly turned to lead and she couldn't move. Albus grinned at her and said, "Good luck" before giving her a small push forward, and she stumbled onto the stool. The last thing she saw before the hat covered her eyes were Professor McGonagall's appraising eyes, Albus signaling a thumbs-up, and Scorpius biting his lip.

She found herself staring into the dark inside of the hat. She waited, unsure of what was going to happen next, and jumped when she heard a small voice in her ear. It seemed to belong to the hat itself.

"Hmm, Erin Lyths," the small voice said. "I haven't had the pleasure in Sorting _your_ family for a while. The decision is so simple, yet so difficult!" The hat sighed in Erin's ear. "A brilliant mind, of course, and full of nerve and courage… but what's this? A thirst for revenge and power, I see…." Erin gripped the sides of the stool hard until she could feel her knuckles turn burn. "Yes, you'll do great things, I can see that already…but where to put you?"

Erin had a sudden vision of herself with the green of Slytherin emblazoned on her chest, and she was powerful, very powerful. She had it all, everything she had ever wanted, and there he was, lying dead at her feet after all these years…

And then the vision changed. She saw Nick stumbling over to the Gryffindor table, sitting alone with his head hanging down as the students beside him slowly inched away. And she saw it … _light… laughter… happiness…_.

"Are you sure?" came the small voice again. "It might not be wise…." It seemed to have reached some sort of unspoken conclusion. "Well then, on your on head be it. I'll just have to sort you into GRYFFINODR!"

Erin heard the hat shout the last word out into the entire hall. She took off the hat, and in a daze, walked shakily toward the Gryffindor table. Had she really chosen Gryffindor in her mind, or had the hat chosen for her? She wasn't sure what to think, and wasn't altogether sure she had made the right choice. But she walked past the politely clapping Gryffindors and took a seat next to Nick, who looked down at the table and said glumly, "Hey."

"Malfoy, Scorpius!" Erin tried to look indifferent, but out of the corner of her eyes she watched Scorpius place the hat on his head, and a few moments later it shouted (to her regret), "SLYTHERIN!"

She turned her attention back to Nick, who still wasn't meeting her eyes. "I don't see what the problem is," she said, glaring at him. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I haven't exactly grown up with wizards and witches as parents."

_No, they were something more. Something forbidden._

"But if you want to go moping around because your cousin or something tried to destroy the world, then go right ahead and-"

"It was my great-uncle," Nick said suddenly. Erin smiled to herself. She had gotten him to speak. "Of all the books you can read about Gellert Grindelwald, nothing will ever mention his younger brother, Savion. He was my grandfather, and because of that stupid last name that he carried, this burden has been thrown on my head."

They were silent for a moment and "Mirth, Scarlet" and "Moller, Curt" were sorted into Gryffindor too, where they joined Erin and Nick at the table. "But does it matter what your last name is?" Erin finally asked. "Just because of what your great-uncle did in the past doesn't mean anything!" Nick sighed. "It does. The thing is, you don't understand; it isn't just my uncle. My entire family has been corrupt for generations!" This time he looked up and met her eyes. "I should be thrilled to be in Gryffindor," he said. "After thinking all this time I'd for sure be in Slytherin. But I can't help thinking the Sorting Hat made some sort of mistake and that I don't really belong here." Erin couldn't answer him.

_Did she belong here?_


	7. The Gryffindors

**Chapter Seven: The Gryffindors**

There were only a few students left to be Sorted. "Mulciber, Gannon" and "Nott, Wyatt" had joined Scorpius over by the Slytherin table. Erin noticed that the rumors about Slytherin did seem to be true; they appeared to be, mostly, a rather unpleasant lot. Albus was called up and Erin crossed her fingers under the table. However, there was no need. Barely a few seconds had passed before the hat declared him Gryffindor and he came over to Nick and Erin with a broad smile plastered on his face.

A few names later, and Erin noticed how hungry she really was. The treats on the train had been eaten hours ago, and although the orphanage had gotten Erin accustomed to eating very little or no food, the few days she had spent at the Leaky Cauldron had reversed all that. Her stomach growled and she looked up to the staff table, urging them to hurry up with the Sorting and start the feast.

There were three first years left standing. Rose looked peaky, and kept glancing toward the table where the three of them sat, as though she was unsure about her choice. Her name was called, and she sat beneath the hat for a while until it shouted out, "RAVENCLAW!" Albus clapped loudly, although Erin could tell he was in a slight shock. Rose popped off the stool and threw Albus a sad smile before joining her new fellow house members.

Next, a particularly squinty eyed and unattractive "Wertang, Maleficent" was Sorted into Slytherin, leaving one girl left. Even though she could not really see her face the last time, Erin could tell this was the girl who had been with Mulciber and the rest when they had thrown Erin out so unceremoniously from the compartment. Professor McGonagall's voice rang out- "Zabini, Charlotte"- and the girl shuffled forward and put on the hat. It took quite a while. Erin could hear her stomach growling now- she stared down at the empty golden plate before her, wishing for food to just magically appear….

"GRYFFINDOR!" Erin looked up, thankful the Sorting had been completed, and saw the girl's eyes widen in surprise at her verdict. She also noticed the whispering at the Slytherin table was confused and loud. The girl did not glance at her Slytherin friends and slumped down a few seats from Erin, sitting silently with her head hanging down. She had brown, almost strawberry colored curls that cascaded down to her shoulders and black eyes that reflected the golden goblet placed before her.

A clanking noise interrupted Erin's thoughts, and she looked up to see Dippet rise from his gold chair at the High Table, where the teachers sat. He smiled at the students sitting at their tables and as he opened his arms wide, Erin couldn't help herself; she squinted her eyes and blinked, and watched at the dazzling blue light of his aura wavered around his body. "Welcome, new students and old!" Dippet's voice rang out, although Erin couldn't help but hear its slight waver. "I welcome you as we begin a new year at Hogwarts. I trust you will enjoy the marvelous feast that has been prepared for us." With that, he flourished his hand and Erin's mouth dropped open. She immediately closed it.

Before her, the dishes that had just a moment ago been sparkling empty were now piled with food; so much, in fact, that Erin had absolutely no idea where to begin. It seemed Nick was having no trouble at all deciding. "Pash de bashon pleesh, Ewin," he mumbled through a mouthful of roast potatoes. Erin grabbed everything she could in sight and piled it on her plate, a look of happy content written all over her face.

"Slow down, guys," Albus said, laughing. Erin cut up her steak and shoved the pieces into her mouth. "The orphanage didn't exactly cook gourmet meals for us each night."

"Oh, are you a muggle-born too?" Michelle Geller, a new Gryffindor, asked. "And I was afraid I'd be the only one! It was quite a shock for me when that letter from Hogwarts came- my mum's a teacher and my dad's an author, and there's nothing magical about them!"

Curt Moller, another first year, laughed. "Well, I got the biggest shock of all. My dad left me when I was a kid, and it turns out my mom just stopped using magic ever since he was gone. So when I got the letter…"

On Erin's other side, Albus was chatting animatedly with a slightly pompous looking ghost, and although Erin was dying (perhaps that was the wrong word) to join in, she suddenly felt shy. Instead, she turned to Nick, who was watching Charlotte.

"Tell your father I send my regards," Charlotte said, her dark eyes flashing.

Nick looked like he was biting his tongue from retorting. He said, "Send your father mine as well."

And then Charlotte turned her head to face Erin. Erin flushed, embarrassed at being caught watching her, and said, "Hi Charlotte, I'm-"

"It's Charlie. And you're Erin Lyths, I know," Charlie said. She fell silent.

A dark skinned girl named Diana Thomas peered across the table. "You're Albus Potter, aren't you?" she asked excitedly. Nick, who was in the midst of spooning in a large chunk of chocolate ice-cream in his mouth rolled his eyes and asked, "So what if he is?" Scarlet Mirth scoffed. "So what? So _what_? Your father is Harry Potter, isn't he?"

Albus nodded uncomfortably, and Erin couldn't help herself. "Who's Harry Potter? What's the big deal about him being Albus' father?" Scarlet laughed. Erin decided immediately that she didn't like her. "_Everyone _knows about Harry Potter. He's the only reason my parents and yours" (Erin chewed her tongue) "are still alive. He defeated _You-Know-Who_ nineteen years ago; he's a legend."

Erin glanced, her eyebrows raised, toward Albus, and he folded his arms. "Don't you give me that look," he warned. "My dad and I are completely different people; I want to gain recognition out of my own doings, not something my dad did nearly twenty years ago."

Nick seemed to be about to add something, but Dippet got to his feet again and the entire hall fell silent. "I hope you enjoyed your meal. Before you can retire to your dormitories, there are a few start-of-the-term points I need to make.

"To our new first years: the forest on the grounds is absolutely forbidden to all students. I should hope none of you are foolish enough to break this rule.

"To those of you interested in the house teams: Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term; please contact Madam Hooch or your team captain for more information.

"To all our students: I would like to remind you that under any conditions, all magic is prohibited in the corridors between classes.

"And finally, I would like to welcome Professor Ender, who will be teaching first and second years a new class, Auctorology." The hall clapped politely as young man in robes stood up and observed the students before sitting down once more.

Dippet eyed them impassively. "I presume you are all well fed and exhausted. First years, once again, welcome to Hogwarts! Prefects, please direct them where to go; may all of you have a good night." With that the hall filled with the scraping of chairs as hundreds of students stood up and pushed around to make for the door leading out of the dining area.

Erin found herself lost in a tumble of arms and legs when she heard a boy's voice call out, "First year Gryffindors, follow me to the common room! Gryffindors!" She followed the voice to a tall boy with an upturned nose and pink cheeks. He had a badge with a P on it pinned to his chest. "Follow me!" He smiled at her.

They walked up quite a many number of stairs, moving past the whispering portraits and squealing each time one of the stairs shifted. Eventually they stopped before, as far as Erin could see, a very large portrait hanging on the wall. The boy with the P on his chest explained something about passwords, but Erin wasn't listening. She used this time to find Nick and Albus and stood beside them quietly in the back.

"Dracontis," the prefect said, and the portrait swung forward to let the first years (and the rest of the Gryffindors that had gathered to wait behind them) entrance into the common room. It was a homely place, with several comfortable looking armchairs, and the fire in the grate looked as though it had been burning for hours. "I'm Eric, by the way," the prefect said, pointing to himself. "And this will be your home for the rest of the year. Girls' dormitories are this way-" he indicated to the staircase on the left. "And boys are on the right. I suggest you go up and get yourselves settled tonight- you'll have plenty of time to stay up in the common room during the follow up of the year."

Erin had had no inclination to stay up in the common room anyway, so she accepted Eric's words and bade goodnight to Albus and to Nick, who was still looking glum. She followed four other girls into the dormitory in which she would sleep in for a year, and decided immediately she would like it. It was quite nice, with comfortable looking four-poster beds, and there was enough space to squeeze in at least five more girls if they had to.

There were five girls all together: Michelle Geller, the muggle-born, liked to quietly read Japanese manga in a corner; Diana Thomas was loud and outgoing; Scarlet Mirth, the girl Erin disliked, was very pretty and began to paint her toes as soon as she had settled in; Charlie Zabini, who kept mostly to herself; and of course, Erin. Erin was too exhausted to even attempt to make small talk, but she noticed before sleep overtook her that Charlie had taken the bed beside her.

"…_Don't sleep, my child, for you are surrounded by enemies; and when you awake, it will be too late." The voice whispered._


	8. The Ice Caves

**Chapter Eight: **The Ice Caves

_The children all stood silently in the line, shivering, not only from the raging winds of snow. The girl, her gold eyes determined, stood out from the other blank faces. The great man before them spoke in a deep voice._

"_This is your transition," he bellowed. "In only a few week's time, you will reach the age of seven and follow your ancestors in the training they undertook of the sacred art of our people; this burden and responsibility, this blessing and curse. This is your transition from the child you were to the powerful man or woman you will become." The wind howled angrily._

"_Through this storm there is a set of ice caves, and in it is a force called the Oracle. You must find the Oracle. If you are worthy, the Oracle will reveal itself to you and you will be able to learn the heritage of our people._

"_But be warned: if you are not worthy- if you are weak of mind and power- the Oracle will not spare you. Leave now, if you wish to live, albeit live ordinary, worthless lives." The man spat into the snow._

_He paused for a moment as three of the five children left, slowly disappearing into the swirling white. The girl remained in the line, defiant, beside a young, sandy haired boy who's eyes and nose were red. "You have chosen," the man declared. "Your destiny begins from here on. One of your family members will be waiting for you to return through the other side._

"_Now, go, take care. Find the Oracle."_

_The boy standing beside her wouldn't meet her eyes. The girl turned her head and pressed on through the swirling white of freezing snow._

_Very shortly, she found herself standing before a frozen lake. On the other side, she could see the entrance to the ice caves. The girl placed her foot tentatively onto the ice, but it held firm. She took a step forward._

_The journey across the frozen lake seemed to take an eternity, but she made it safely to the opposite side. She found herself gazing upward at the great, cragged mouth of the ice caves. Inside was pure darkness. Ignoring her screaming instincts, the girl walked blindly into the cave._

_A strange, chilling mist pressed to her skin, although she was wearing many layers of warm clothing. The chill seemed to seep inside her, instill her with fear- but at the same time, draw her closer. To what, she was not sure of._

_Her feet seemed to know where they were going, for they maneuvered her around the large and dangerous icicles that were positioned all around the caves. The caves seemed to go on for miles and miles, and the girl began to feel scared. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to find here._

_And then she arrived, and she knew this was her main destination. This chamber of the caves was different; for although the girl knew it was bathed in darkness, she also knew that there were dancing lights reflecting off the icy walls. Yet she could not see the darkness or the light._

_A voice came seemingly out of nowhere, unnatural and unearthly, hissing loudly. "Kneel." She found herself kneeling on the ground._

"_Heed my words, Great Child of the Moon: the darkness flies on brethren's wings, threatening to block out both of the earthly lights. Winter will rise eternally when the star has gone out upon the Choice. Never trust a gentle flame for it will swallow you alive, dear one, and beware of the power within. Accept the mighty gift which has chosen you from the beginning of time, to free the captives of their Fates. In time, the Great Five will once more rise to power at the terrible price of the Two. _

"_And remember this last thing: don't sleep, my child, for you are surrounded by enemies; and when you awake, it will be too late," the voice whispered. But against its words, the girl felt the lulling call of warmth and nothingness and closed her eyes._

_She awoke shortly afterwards, the Oracle's words already fading from her mind. How much time had been lost, she wasn't sure, but she gathered herself together and made to leave the caves. The darkness did not seem as pressing as before, and she found that she was no longer afraid._

_The girl exited in a sudden burst of white light from the drifting snow; the vivid colors, although they weren't many, burned her eyes, and she shielded them with her hand, looking for the family members that were to congratulate and escort her back home._

_There were none._

_The entire valley opposite the ice caves was empty. The only movement was the spiraling wind and the oncoming snow. No footprints even signified someone had been there at all. They hadn't waited for her._

_She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and trudged up the hill to where the village and her family inhabited._

"Erin! Psst, Erin!" a low voice whispered urgently beside her, followed immediately by the sharp ring of the bell. She vaguely heard the scratching of chairs being moved and books being slammed back into bags. Erin picked her head up from her arms and opened her eyes. "What's going on?" she muttered.

Nick looked as though he was suppressing a laugh. "You fell asleep in History of Magic, that's what's going on." Erin's head perked up immediately, but Professor Binns was, as always, lost in a world of the past. She gathered her books and tossed them into her bag messily, swung it over her shoulder, and followed Nick out the door of the classroom.

It was only her first day of Hogwarts (not even a complete, full day) and already her homework pile had amounted to quite an impressive stock. Professor McGonagall had been, as she had first appeared to be, very strict, and on the first night had already given them an assignment to read the first two chapters of "A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration" and write quite a long summary about it; a practice of the Charms levitation incantation for kindly Professor Punsworth; an essay on the correct concoction for producing Hiccup-Cure potion for Professor Prince; and finally, round, pink faced Professor Longbottom had given them a paper on the correct way to tackle and handle a Beezwackle.

"Worst-class-ever," Albus groaned loudly from behind her. "And I thought it was bad enough that my potion exploded today in the dungeons. I think it was just nerves, though… my dad kept telling me how terrible _he _was at Potions at Hogwarts."

Erin saw Nick's eyes flicker at the word "dad".

_Dad… dad… dad… dad…_

_A headless corpse was lying in its own blood. The girl backed away and tripped over an object on the floor. She screamed_

_It was a head. Her father's head._


	9. Magic and Memories

**Chapter Nine: Magic and Memories **

The room was cold. Erin, who had been more than excited to begin Defense Against the Dark Arts, couldn't help but feel disappointed as she regarded Professor Baddock. He was a thin, weedy looking young man with watery eyes and brown hair that was already receding. From what she had heard about the Dark Arts, she wasn't sure if Baddock looked like he could withstand them.

"Welcome students; I am Professor Baddock," Baddock said, and Erin was not disappointed. She had been expecting his voice to come out as a squeak or a sniffle, and Professor Baddock fully obliged her assumption. "I am _highly _honored to teach you. Some of your parents may know me; after all, I was a student here too, long ago in Slytherin. Now, I am honored to be teaching my favorite subject and fulfill the role as Head of Slytherin House."

The Slytherin first years looked around, smirking at each other. Alubs cast Erin a worried look. "This is my third year teaching at Hogwarts," he said, "so I'm nearly as new as you are.

"On to business, then," Baddock said, mindlessly twirling his wand in his left hand. "Defense Against the Dark Arts is a _highly_ important subject, for there is never a time you don't need to know how to defend yourself. The Dark Arts are an _evil_, corrupt power," he said, his eyes widening, "and it is my job to teach you to protect yourself."

_I-will-find-power!_

Erin shifted uncomfortably in her seat and turned her head to look at Nick. He was staring at Professor Baddock, and from this angle it made his eyes appear to be glittering… and scary.

Baddock smiled at the class, but it made him appear like a ravenous weasel. "For our first lesson, I've prepared a _highly_ interesting layout course for you to read from your books." Erin noticed he said the word 'highly' a lot. "So everyone, pull out your books and begin reading!"

Chapters one and two of _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection_ were, as Baddock would say, _highly _tedious, and Erin spent the rest of the period daydreaming about caves filled to the brim with ice.

_The walk back to the village was longer than she expected. The girl was cold and numb and gasping for breath by the time she spotted the wooden gateway that seemed so welcoming at the moment. She pulled her feet to the posts, aching for a warm blanket by the fire, when a figure blocked her path into the village._

_It was the man who had sent them into the ice caves._

"_Welcome back," he said, bowing his head slightly. The girl fidgeted slightly, unsure whether she wanted this new respect. "So you have survived the ice caves." He said it as a statement rather than a question. The girl nodded, her teeth chattering too much to speak._

"_Yes, wonderful. But it is such a pity the other didn't survive," he said, not sounding regretful at all. She felt her heart constrict. The boy hadn't survived? But the man didn't let this new information sink in. "What did the Oracle tell you?"_

_And suddenly, the girl did not want him to know the Oracle had spoken to her. She did not want to relay what the Oracle had said. That information was for her and for her only._

"_The Oracle didn't say anything at all." _

Nick caught up with her silently after class, and Erin followed him outside for midday break. Not many people were out; only a handful of first years, and some Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs from older years that Erin didn't recognize.

They sat at the base of a colorful tree that was near the lake, so they had the entire view of the courtyard to themselves. "It's so pretty here," Erin mused. "So different from where I grew up. It was always so icy and cold." Nick looked at her. "Really? Where did you grow up?" Erin cursed at herself.

Had she told him too much? Would he figure everything out on his own? Piece it together… her eyes, her family, her home…. What if he knew? How else could he have known…? Or what if it was still forbidden, even here…? She couldn't tell him anything. It would ruin everything she had fought so hard to hide, to protect. She wouldn't say a thing.

"Grimstad, Norway." She surprised both herself and Nick at that moment. She knew he hadn't expected her to tell him. Why _had _she told him?

"What about you?" she asked.

She didn't need to ask the question, because she already knew the answer. His eyes had flashed that strange glint again; and at that moment, she knew he was definitely not from England. Nick didn't look at her, but plucked a flower from the grass and began to pick off its petals.

"I was born in Razgrad- that's in Bulgaria, you know. I came here at around eight, maybe nine. And to tell you the truth, I was set to go to Durmstrang. You know; the other wizarding school." The other wizarding school? Could it be that… the Academy… was one of them?

"But then my dad ran off on us," he stated in a matter of fact voice, as though he had rehearsed saying it. He was still tearing apart the flower. "And my mum… she just couldn't stay there. Too many…" he hesitated. "Too many bad memories." Erin nodded at that and drew closer to him. She vividly remembered Charlie saying, _"Send your father my regards!"_ "Is that why you don't like Charlie? She knows about your dad?"

"Her father used to be friends with my dad," he said. "He tells me my father's a good man; that I should forgive him. That everything he did was for a greater purpose." Nick clenched his fists. "But I will never forgive him."

_The fog was creeping in slowly, carefully wrapping itself around the delicate body of the small girl. The girl clenched a thin string that tethered her to the other side of the fog. And suddenly, a woman's voice, anguished and desperate, called out, and the girl moved forward, eager to find her. But the string held tight and would not allow her to move forward._

"_Please, come here!" the woman cried. The girl spun around. "Where are you?" She shouted. The woman made no acknowledgement that she had heard her._

"_Let go, my child, let go. Release the string!" The girl made no movement to release it, but clutched it tighter. "I cannot!" she yelled back. The woman sobbed. "Please, you have to! You have to learn to let go; to forgive and let go. You cannot spend your life hanging on to it. Let go!"_

"_No!" the girl held on to the string with both hands, sweat beading on her forehead. "Fine," the woman's voice hissed, sounding sad. But also dangerous. "You have chosen. Let this be your downfall!" And the ground opened and swallowed the girl whole, into the darkness, without any string to support her._

_And the girl woke up. _

"It's hard to forgive someone when you're so mad," said Nick. He opened his mouth and seemed about to say more when the sharp sound of the bell rang from the open archways and the Gryffindor first years began to exit the courtyard. Nick dropped the half destroyed flower onto the ground; sighed and rose, helping Erin up, and they walked back to class together.

The flower drifted to the ground and burst into flames in the empty courtyard.


	10. Auctorology

**Chapter Ten: Auctorology**

The class, both Gryffindors and Slytherins alike, were completely silent and still, with the occasional whisper and prod as they gazed in awe at the room. Although the teacher had not yet arrived, the room itself held of particular interest to Erin. It had antique objects hanging on the walls and on the shelves, some which clicked and emitted smoke, while in others Erin swore she could hear something that sounded like whispers.

The door flew open carelessly as a dark figure made his way into the room, his black cloak billowing behind him. Erin's first impression of the professor was that he looked like a very angry lion. He had black eyes (like Charlie's, almost), long gray hair with black streaks, and a mouth that was in a permanent snarl. "I am Professor Ender. Welcome," he said in a quiet voice that didn't make Erin feel very welcome at all, "to the first ever Auctorology class. What is Auctorology, you ask?" Ender said, although no one had asked. "It derives from the Latin word _auctorita_, meaning power.

"The study of power; do not take this subject lightly. This class has absolutely no internal connection to what you call," he made a distasteful face, "Defense Against the Dark Arts. Auctorology is a separate lesson, and although in the beginning we may seem to be going in the same direction as Professor Baddock, in the end of this year you will all become different people than what you are right now." Everyone shifted uncomfortably at those words. Ender clapped his hands once. "On that note, we shall begin the lesson."

He waved his wand, and the chalk began scribbling on the board: Lesson One- Elements. The class scribbled their quills to write this down, and then looked up at the professor, waiting silently and expectantly. "The elements," he said suddenly. "What are the elements?"

A girl in front of Erin raised her hand. "Name?"

"Charlie Zabini," the girl stated. Erin was taken aback. She hadn't heard Charlie speak all day. "Aren't the elements water, earth, air, and fire? Sir?" Ender nodded. "Yes, as Ms. Zabini simply stated, these are the four elements. However- and write this down- your assignment will be to write an essay on the fifth element."

"What is the-?"

Ender cut the girl off. "Hand!" The girl thrust her hand in the air and Ender nodded at her. "Candire Nuse," the Slytherin girl said. "Sir, what is the fifth element?" Ender smiled widely. "That will be up to you to find out, won't it? I expect at two rolls of parchment. This will be your big assignment for the year. I expect it to be handed in after the third semester." The class looked at each excitedly at the prospect of no homework until the end of the year.

Ender raised his hand for silence. "Alright, alright, moving onward; let us discuss the elements in a quick overview. Remember," he said, eyeing each of them squarely, "never underestimate the elements. They contain much more power than that foolish wand waving and big bangs." He used his wand as a pointer and indicated to the first element that had scribbled itself onto the board. "Water," Professor Ender said, "is a symbol of peace, harmony, wisdom and- most importantly- life. Where there is water, there is life. It holds the key to many inactivated healing sources that wizards have been trying for centuries to gain access too. Earth," he said, now pacing, "is stable environment; firm, stubborn like; symbolizing strength and ferocity, and the endless cycle of life and death. The earth releases everything, and in the end," he grinned wolfishly, "takes it back. "

_Do you want to die? If you want to die, I will not hesitate in killing you…. It will be days until they find your body. Weeks, maybe. You will lay here, your life bleeding away, and eventually fade into the dust as though you had never existed._

"Air is the balance element; containing both the choice of good and evil, it constantly has a struggle of hope and terror; just like water, it is also a symbol of life- breath. Inspiration, intelligence, movement, and especially freedom- you understand what I am saying. And last, but nowhere near least, is fire. Fire is the only element," Ender's eyes were like coals, "that is extremely unstable. All of the others- water, earth, and air- contain a sturdy base. But fire is dangerous; it will eat anything its in path. And it symbolizes destruction and hate, warmth, love, sacrifice. Great power is needed to control fire, for fire makes no promises to one master, but turns on them all."

_Mommy, Mommy, look what I can do!_

_Stupid girl! Don't you ever do that, you hear me?_

Ender's eyes glittered strangely. "Now that you have a small overview of the elements," he said, "We will began our first physical lesson next class. The next time you arrive here, do not bring any of your books; it will be a thoroughly practical class." This got the class excited, and they all shifted eagerly in their seats. "Our next lesson, we will be working with stones; I have a bag here," he shook the bag he was holding. "Filled with different rocks I have collected over my journeys across the world.

"When I call you by name, you will come up and take a stone from inside the bag. We will be doing a _very_ interesting experiment with them next week," he smiled at the thought, "so keep your stones safe. And there are no take backs!" he barked at the class.

Most of the class went up to receive their stones before Erin's name was even called. Nick was flashing his stone in her face, a pretty one that appeared to be multicolored when it was held up in the light. It was cold no matter how long Erin held it. "Ms. Lyths," Ender called from across the classroom.

Was it just her imagination, or did his eyes narrow when he called her name? She stepped forward to his desk to receive a stone, and felt strong, angry vibes come off from him. And sure enough, when she concentrated hard, she could see his dark brown aura with an angry tint of red just barely outlining it. He was furious and Erin had no idea why. "Just take one and get on with it," he hissed softly in her ear. His eyes were staring into hers.

Suddenly wary, Erin cast hers downward and stuck her hand in the embroidered bag, rummaging around for a stone she thought felt nice. Her hand wrapped around one, and she felt a small electric shock go into her body, and she pulled out the rock, smiling. But her smile soon faded away.

The stone was simple and ugly. It was a plain gray color, basically evenly shaped, with a musty smell as though it had been soaking in wet moss for a few hours. She frowned disapprovingly and walked back to her seat. She wouldn't let a foolish rock get to her.

Nick elbowed her. "Well, let's see it, then?" He tossed his own stone in his hand. Erin put hers inside the pocket of her robe. "I'd rather not." Nick smiled widely. "Is it that bad? You don't need to get upset over it; it's just a stupid rock."

"I'm not upset!"

But she felt another twinge of annoyance when Albus picked a glossy, emerald green one.

Ender stood up. "This bag carries hundreds and hundreds of stones," he announced to the disbelieving class. "It has been enchanted to appear smaller and to contain less. However, the stone you have chosen has been picked from _many_ others. It reflects on who you are and what you will become. Think on that."

Albus was staring at his rock with a look of intense concentration, like many others in the class were doing. Erin whacked her book into his head, and Albus jumped back to life, scowling at her as she walked away with Nick.

"Was it just me, or did Ender seem to hate me?" Erin asked him, tearing her mind away from the silly rocks. Nick shrugged. "Nah, it was just you. It has something to do with your evil eyes…" She flinched, and Nick looked at her oddly. "I was only kidding. Don't take it personally."

_She ran… ran through the woods, through the memories, through the past. Anything to get away. For what scared her most was that she had the eyes of a killer_

_._


	11. The Informal Meeting with Dippet

Chapter Eleven: The Informal Meeting with Dippet

After dinner that night, no one at the Gryffindor common room seemed to be much in the mood to do their newly assigned homework. The sixth and seventh years had occupied the most comfortable chairs nearest to the fire, leaving the other assortment of couches around the room to be occupied by groups of Gryffindors from the same year. Erin, Nick, and Albus settled themselves beside Evan Wallman, Trenton Wood, and Scarlet Mirth, who was showing off the fluffy cat her mother had bought her for her birthday.

"Her name's Tiffany," she crooned, scratching the cat behind her ears. "She's _adorable_, and she's got a ton of magical powers too." Tiffany yawned and stretched. Evan leaned forward, apparently enthralled by the bored cat.

There was a sudden caw; half the common room turned to watch as Sapphira flew down from the dormitory rooms and landed squarely on Erin's shoulder. Erin flushed as several of the older students clapped and whistled; she muttered, "Stop that," to Sapphira, but the falcon only ruffled her feathers with pride. Scarlet's eyes widened. "Erin, what's that doing here?" she demanded. "It needs to be put in a cage, or at least the Owlery."

"_Sapphira_ is a wild falcon; how dare you suggest she be locked up?" Nick said in such a plausible imitation of Erin that both she and Albus broke out into fits of laughter. Scarlet pursed her lips but didn't say anything further.

"Wish I had a pet," Evan said sadly. "My parents didn't want to get me one." 

"Your parents are Muggles, right?" asked Albus.

"Yep," nodded Evan, "so I'll probably be the worst in the year…."

"Probably," came a huffy voice. Erin turned to see Charlie stalking off alone to the girls' dormitory.

Scarlet watched her between narrowed eyes. "She thinks she's so high and mighty, that one," she said, sniffing and tossing her gleaming hair. _She's not the only one, _Erin thought maliciously.

"Yeah, I know," agreed Wood, "I tried asking her something during class, she completely ignored me."

"Well, haven't you noticed?" Scarlet said. "She hangs around with all those Slytherins. Personally, I think the Sorting Hat made a mistake and should have Sorted her into Slytherin. It's not like she _wants_ to be here anyway."

Evan nodded feverishly. Erin could tell he was only glad that Scarlet had not chosen to mock and scorn him, and Erin couldn't help but feel the same way. It felt nice, although more like a guilty pleasure, to know that for once, someone _else_ was the outcast.

"Er, Erin?" It was Michelle Geller, the blonde first year Gryffindor. She seemed to be out of breath. "Professor Dippet just sent me… he said he'd like to speak to you in his office… immediately."

The first years all grew very quiet. Erin stood up, her stomach in a bundle of nerves. It was only the first day. Had she done something wrong already? Albus and Nick gave her sympathetic looks and Scarlet said, "Ooh wonder what its for…. Good luck, Erin." She followed Michelle out through the portrait hole.

Dippet's office was not as astounding as Erin had imagined it to be. It was a simple, circular room with several bookshelves lining the wall. Perhaps the most fascinating thing about it was the large, glistening chandelier that hung in midair and made tinkling noises every so often. The walls were lined with portraits of old headmasters; an old wizened one named "Albus Dumbledore" winked at her.

Professor Dippet sat behind a mahogany desk, adorned with several pictures of a pretty, fair haired woman and a chubby boy with a mischievous smile. Beside the plaque on his desk that read "Hendrith Dippet: Headmaster" was what looked like a large, metallic bug. It had sharp pincers and six legs, and crystal, blue eyes that made Erin shiver. It seemed quite lifeless, especially considering the gaping hole that went through its middle as though it had been stabbed. On the wall, nearly directly behind Dippet's head when he sat, was a large, black scorch mark.

He stood up when Erin walked into the room. "Ms. Lyths," he greeted. "Please, have a seat."

Erin sat opposite his desk in an uncomfortable wooden chair. She wriggled nervously. "Am I in trouble… sir?"

"No, no!" Dippet cried, clasping his hands together. "Nothing of the sort. I merely wanted a chance to speak with you, Erin. I am afraid we didn't get to know each other much at the orphanage. So tell me, how did you like your first day at Hogwarts?"

"It was fine," Erin said, watching Dippet suspiciously.

"You like your classes? The teachers? How do you find being in Gryffindor?"

"Professor," said Erin, "I wonder…. Is it usual for headmasters to take such an interest in each of their students' lives?" 

"Yes… well, no," admitted Dippet. "Of course as the headmaster, I care a great deal about how you are faring. The truth is, I _did_ want to speak with you. Please, let me know if the topic is too sensitive for you. I was wondering if you could tell me about your parents' deaths."

"There's nothing to say."

Dippet twiddled his thumbs. "Nothing at all? Are you sure you wouldn't like to-"

"I'm sure. I'm very tired, sire, I think I'd like to get back to my dormitory now."

"Of course, of course," Dippet said. "I'll let you leave in a moment, I only crave a few more minutes of your time. Please excuse my insensitivity."

Dippet inclined his head toward her. Erin shrugged carelessly, although she braced herself for his next set of questions.

"How long have you been able to see auras?"

"What?"

She hadn't been expecting that. She had nearly forgotten she had told him. And now she remembered with a new vindictive pride the look of shock on his face.

"Have you always been able to see them?" Erin thought back. "I suppose so…. I first remember seeing an aura when I was two or three."

"And does everyone have an aura?"

Erin shook her head. "No, I can only see auras belonging to very few people…. You, of course, and I've seen Professor Ender's."

"Oh, you've seen Darius', have you?" Dippet exclaimed gleefully. "I wonder…. What did it look like, may I ask?"

"Brown."

"Hmm…." Dippet said thoughtfully. "I can only imagine what it means. Erin, do you- please forgive me- know if your parents were able to see auras as well?"

"I don't know."

"Did you ever meet anyone else that could?"

"No."

"It's almost nearly unheard of, you know, seeing auras. I thought it was just part of the legends from eastern Europe. I think I may have heard of it in Norway… that's where you're from, correct?"

Erin hesitated. "Yes…."

"Well Erin, I'm sorry to keep you out of bed so late." Erin stood up. "Oh, and Erin? If there's anything else you wish to tell me, anything at all, please, feel free."

Dippet waited expectantly and when Erin remained silent, he stood up as well. "Very well," he said, "It's been a pleasure speaking to you." He opened the office door to let her out. As Erin passed by him, she caught a strong whiff of peppermint. Startled, she turned back to see Dippet silhouetted in the threshold of his office, his green eyes wide with warmth and sadness.

Erin sprinted down the spiral staircase, confused. She tried not liking Dippet; he was, after all, an authority figure, and she felt predisposed to find a reason they couldn't get along. But the vulnerability, the sadness, the peppermint…. As much as Erin tried to deny it, Professor Dippet reminded Erin of her grandfather.


	12. Dear Mika

_Dear Mika,_

_How are you? Hope everything is well._

_I miss you already. It's different being here, so far away from you._

_Hogwarts is really great though. You would love it. I've only been here one day but I can tell we're going to learn loads. The teachers seem nice enough. You would love the Charms teacher, Professor Flitwick; he's nearly a head shorter than you and at least seventy years old!_

_They Sort you into Houses here with an old, ratty hat that (can you believe it?) sings and reads your thoughts. Weird, huh? We've got to compete against the other three houses to win. I hope we win. The kids in my House seem nice enough; I think I'll make friends. I've already met some cool people. You'd like them a lot._

_Hogwarts itself is incredible. Trust me, you've never seen anything as magical until you've seen the castle. It's decorated with hundreds of thousands of moving portraits that talk and shout out things when you walk by; staircases that move as well, although apparently teachers don't acknowledge that as an acceptable excuse to tardiness; suits of armor that chase you down the corridors, clanking (in a playful way, of course); ghosts that float in and out of classrooms on their own free will; and there's even a poltergeist named Peeves whose purpose at the school I'm not entirely sure of… but rumor has it that he lives to make trouble and wreak havoc._

_I don't know yet if I'll be coming back for the holidays so write back soon!_

_-Love Always-_


	13. A Trip to Hagrid's

Chapter Thirteen: A Trip to Hagrid Always Brings New Information

Erin was quick to make up an excuse at breakfast the following morning about her visit to Dippet.

"I don't get why he hasn't called me to ask how I'm adjusting," Evan sulked in between bites. "I'm a Muggle-born too!"

"I suppose he'll call you soon enough," Erin said, waving it off. "He hasn't got enough time to talk to _all_ of us in one shot."

"Mail's here," a Gryffindor fourth year called as a wave of owls swept through the high-arced windows and to their respective owners. A large tawny owl dropped a thick letter into James Potter's lap, amidst the jeering of his friends ("Your mum can't go a day without writing to you!") and then dropped a second envelope right on Albus' breakfast plate. He groaned but Erin noticed he tore it open rather happily. "Mum and Dad are pleased I'm in Gryffindor," he said. "Wonder how they could have known already?"

Evan's parents had placed stamps on his envelope; Scarlet was snickering beside him and Evan flushed, saying, "It's not their fault… they don't _know_…."

Erin noticed that of all the inhabitants of the Gryffindor table, she, Nick, and Charlie had been the only students not to receive a letter. However, Nick and Charlie were both busy scribbling their own. Erin, not feeling very hungry anymore, pushed aside her plate. Sapphira came swooping down, empty-handed of course, and stole a few bites off Erin's unfinished toast.

A second owl, this one considerably smaller than the first, swept before Albus with a rather hastily attached letter tied to its leg. "Blimey!" Albus cried, reading the note. "I'd nearly forgotten Hagrid invited me and Rose for tea." He looked expectantly at Erin and Nick. "Would you guys like to join?" 

"Er…."

"C'mon, it'll be fun," Albus said, grinning. "Hagrid's real nice once you get to know him."

Hagrid, in fact, _was_ very nice, although Erin couldn't help but feel wary around him. He was just so _big_. But it was with a surprising elegance that he prepared their tea and biscuits and delicately set the china mugs before them with a clink.

Rose Weasley had arrived before they had; when they entered the hut (for that's what it appeared to be) she had a newspaper spread out before her, her face so close her nose was nearly touching it. Her eyes narrowed when Albus introduced Nick, and even Hagrid gave a startle of surprise but then greeted him warmly.

"How did y'all like yer firs' day o' Hogwarts?" Hagrid asked as Erin took her first sip of the tea. It was scalding; she felt as though her mouth was blistering. Spluttering, she managed to choke out, "It was alright."

"Alright?" Albus' eyes widened. "Hagrid, it's incredible! I knew my dad loved it here but I never understood why until now."

"Yeah," said Hagrid, nodding reminiscently. "Yer dad sure loved this place. But that's not ter say he did't get 'imself into a spot o' trouble whenever he could!" Hagrid barked, chuckling. "'N yer parents too, Rose," he added, a twinkle in his eye.

Rose looked doubtful. "My _mum_?" she asked.

"That's right," Hagrid nodded, "Harry was always doin' some'in' or other whenever Ron 'n Hermione were 'round."

"Hey, listen to this," Rose said suddenly from behind her paper. "It says here in the Daily Prophet that Seamus Finnigan, the Auror in charge of blah, blah… has gone missing." She and Albus exchanged darkly significant looks.

"What?" Erin and Nick asked.

"Seamus Finnigan…" said Hagrid frowning. He turned to Albus. "Was't he a friend o' yer dad's from school?"

"He was," Albus said, nodding. "Dad's had him around for dinner a few times. They would always go to his study to talk about something. Top secret."

"Dad doesn't like him very much," Rose said. "I don't think they got along very well in school."

"Yer dad did't get along with too many people, Rose," Hagrid said, his beard twitching.

Rose, skimming the paper called the Dailly Prophet again, let out a little "tut". "You're mentioned here," she said to Nick. He looked startled. "I am?"

"Well, not _you_, but the name Grindelwald is. Here, listen:

"_Two weeks ago, Seamus Finnigan, an Auror for the Ministry of Magic, was reported missing._

_Seamus Finnigan was the Auror in charge of the Death Eaters final round up (now terminated), the case concerning the illegal experimentations of Malvus France (deceased) and Aristor Grindelwald, and the murder of Emelyn France (deceased)._"

She paused reading to look up at Nick, questions swimming in her eyes.

"Aristor Grindelwald?' Albus asked.

"Illegal experimentations?" asked Rose.

Erin watched as Nick's face seemed to pale. "Never heard of him," he said abruptly. "Lots of people have got the surname Grindelwald."

Form the dubious looks on the others' faces, Erin knew this wasn't true.

"Did- did y'all hear abou' what happened with the Headmaster two nights ago?" Hagrid said in an effort to break the tension. It worked.

"No, what happened?" Rose asked, folding the Daily Prophet closed to peer at Hagrid.

"It musta been one o' the older kids, thinkin' it ter be funny…. But someone set one o' 'em critter decoys in Dippet's office. On'y this one was defected summat, 'cause it went all haywire 'n nearly killed Dippet."

Erin had a sudden vision of a metal bug with pincers and icy, blue eyes. "I saw it!" she cried excitedly. "When I was in Dippet's office. It was creepy," she said, describing the bug-like decoy.

Rose was frowning. "Hagrid, you said it nearly killed Professor Dippet?"

Hagrid nodded, but then stopped at the look on Rose's face. "But he's alive, ain't he? Can't have been nothin' too serious, don' yeh worry, Rose…."

"Don't you think it's strange," Rose said, eyeing Albus, Erin, and Nick, "that a head Auror goes missing and someone's trying to kill the Headmaster?"

"Now look here!" Hagrid began heatedly. "No one is tryin' ter kill the Headmaster! I told yeh, it was jus' a prank gone bad…."

Erin could see that Hagrid regretted ever telling them.

"A'right, yeh four, don' wanna be late for class now, s'only yer second day," Hagrid said, ushering them out of the cabin. "T'was nice metin' yeh, Erin 'n Nick," he said, smiling at them. "'N Albus! Don' ferget ter tell James ter pass by later when he's got the chance."

As soon as they were out of earshot, Albus rounded on Nick. "Who's Aristor Grindelwald?"


	14. Enemies Make the World Go Round

Chapter Fourteen: Enemies Make the World Go Round

Over the course of the next few days, Albus continued to spring Nick with the question "Who is Aristor?" in hopes that he would be able to surprise Nick and, in a moment of vulnerability, he would tell him. Nick did no such thing. Erin, watching them, wondered why Albus didn't give up.

It was very clear to them both that Nick was lying; but it was also clear to Erin that this was something Nick preferred not to talk about, and she respected that. Albus, however, didn't seem to have the restraint.

"Enough, Albus," Erin muttered for what felt like the umpteenth time as they made their way down to the Quidditch pitch. She was feeling irritable, and not just because of Albus' constant piques. Today was their first flying lesson and Erin wasn't too excited. In fact, she had been dreading it. She didn't think flying on a thin, wooden broom hundreds of feet off the ground could be counted as safe _or_ fun. She was perfectly satisfied with two feet on the ground.

To Erin's left, Evan Wallman seemed to be thinking along the same lines. He looked rather queasy as he said, "There'll be nets to catch us if we fall… right?"

The Slytherins closest to him sniggered. To make matters worse, the Gryffindors were having their first lesson with them. Erin watched Mulciber leading his group of cronies, Scorpious dutifully following along as they pushed their way through the Gryffindors.

"Welcome, boys and girls," said Madame Hooch once they had all gathered in the pitch, "to your first ever flying lesson."

Some of the Slytherins mock applauded, and Madame Hooch shot them a look. She was a stocky woman with snow-white hair and eyes that commanded respect. "We'll be going over the basics today," Madame Hooch said. "Everyone step over to the right of a broomstick. Alright? Now put your left hand over the broom and say "up"!"

"UP!" The Gryffindors and Slytherins chorused together. Erin's broom shot up straight into her hand. She noticed Nick's, Albus', and Scorpious' did as well. Others, like Evan Wallman, weren't as lucky on their first attempt.

Madame Hooch showed them the correct way to grip and mount a broomstick; how to break and touch back to ground; and how to accelerate and decelerate. And then, the moment Erin had been dreading. "On my whistle: three, two, one!" Erin kicked off the ground and found herself hovering in midair.

Her breath caught in her throat. It was, no other way to describe it… incredible. She wriggled her feet and felt a swooping sensation in her stomach. It was strange not to have solid ground beneath her.

A few moments later and she had landed back on the ground with everyone else. Her irrational fear was in the past now, and she wondered what it would be like to _really _fly, to hurtle through the wind at top speed….

"Aw, is wittle Wallman afwaid of heights?" Erin heard a taunting voice jeer. She turned, expecting to see a Slytherin, and was surprised to see Charlie, a smirk plastered on her face as she watched a greenish color rise on Evan's. Evan shook his head, shaking slightly as he dismounted. Mulciber, laughing beside Charlie, said, "We didn't even go up more than a few feet. What a Mudblood."

"Hey," Erin began.

"How dare you!"

Madame Hooch strode over, her eyes on fire. Even Mulciber cowered. "I never, and I repeat, _never_, want to hear that sort of language in my class. Detention! Mulciber and Zabini, go to Professor McGonagall- immediately!" she added when Mulciber opened his mouth to interrupt.

Charlie looked affronted. "But Madame Hooch, I didn't do anything…."

"Immediately," Madame Hooch repeated, her nostrils flaring. Sulking, the two of the tem left towards the castle. Madame Hooch turned back to the class, clearly fazed. "Now where were we…?"

"I can't believe Charlie still hangs with that group," Nick muttered at Erin's side. "It's pathetic how much she wants their approval."

"Mulciber seems downright horrible," Erin agreed, "I don't understand why they follow him."

"Yeah, Charlie should have realized by now…."

But Erin was watching Scorpious.

They adjourned back to the castle with muddy sneakers and windswept hair. Scarlet, as usual, was keeping up a one-man conversation.

"…and I was begging Mum to buy me a broom," she was telling Evan Wallman and Michelle Geller. "But, can you believe it, she refused! Even after she _saw_ how good I was. Just because of that stupid rule…."

"What rule?" Michelle asked.

Scarlet sighed. Erin couldn't tell if it was to dramatize her point or because she was annoyed at being interrupted.

"That first years can't play on the House Quidditch team," Scarlet said. "It's a silly rule, of course, because there's bound to be some talented first years…. And Albus' dad got on the team in his first year, didn't he?"

Albus looked uncomfortable. "Yeah, I suppose he did…."

"Last year's Gryffindor Seeker finished school already," Scarlet chattered, continuing as though Albus hadn't spoken. "I wonder who it'll be this year? I heard James is planning to try out," she said with an inquiring glance in Albus' direction. "Is he any good?"

Before Albus had a chance to respond, they heard a ghastly shriek from behind them. Erin spun around, whipping out her wand although she hadn't the faintest idea how to use it.

There was an old man standing several feet behind them. He was stooped over, with a hunchback, and a face that seemed gaunt and withered away. He held a long mop in his hand; the other hand was pointing at a long trail of….

"Mud!" the man shrieked. "Disgusting filth! Dirt! On my floors!"

Erin felt Albus stiffen beside her. "I'm- we're- sorry, I swear!" Albus stammered. But the man paid him no heed. "Mud!" he cried again, beginning to wipe it up off the floor. "Disgusting."

"Come on," Erin heard Scarlet urge them from behind, and they cautiously backed up, leaving the old man to mop and mutter to himself.

"Who _is_ that?" Albus asked, once they were out of earshot.

Trenton Wood threw a half-horrified, half-pitied glance behind him. "His name's Mr. Green," he said in an undertone. "He's the caretaker."

"What's he doing here?" asked Albus.

"Can he see us?" Michelle asked.

Wood shook his head. "I don't think so… rumor has it that he's a Muggle. Came here looking for work a few years ago and Dippet hired him. He can't see or hear any of us; I don't even think he can really see the castle. He just mops up dirt every day and night…."

The Gryffindors fell silent at this morbid thought.

As they rounded the corner towards the Fat Lady, Erin saw Charlie walking huffily towards them, her face tinged with pink. She supposed Charlie had just gotten a yelling from McGonagall. Erin smiled to herself. She deserved it.

"Move," Charlie growled at Michelle and Wood, who had arrived first at the portrait hole. They both instinctively took a step back. Without thinking, Erin moved forward and blocked the entrance.

"Move," Charlie repeated, this time angrier. Erin didn't budge. "You forgot to say please," she said in a sing-song voice.

Charlie narrowed her eyes. "I'm not in the mood to play, Erin."

"Good, neither am I, so I'll make this quick," Erin said, years of being bullied building up like fury inside of her. "You don't like us and we don't like you. That's fine. But you don't need to make it so obvious. Leave us alone. Stop trying to intimidate us, because it's not going to work. You're stuck up, selfish, and mean, but that's about it. I don't get why the Sorting Hat put you in Gryffindor either, but trust me, that's something we all wouldn't mind changing. Oh, and another thing," Erin said, turning her back on Charlie's red face and her classmates' shocked ones, "no, you may not go through the portrait hole first."

And she marched into the common room, wondering if crossing Charlie Zabini and her Slytherin friends was a bad idea.


	15. Charms is Not a Game

Chapter Fifteen: Charms Is Not a Game, Contrary to Grandma Longbottom

It turned out it wasn't just a bad, but the worst one Erin could think of. In the privacy of their dorm, or even in a Gryffindor only class, Charlie tended to ignore Erin, which suited Erin just fine. However, whenever the Slytherins were around, Charlie would let out a string of insults and mockeries that the Slytherins found very amusing.

"I think you should give her another telling off," Albus said, ignoring Mulciber's jeers. "She seemed at a loss for words last time."

"It would only make matters worse," Erin said, glaring at the Slytherins. She noticed that they never spoke to Charlie or even stood too close to her; even now, they were a good two feet away. They only acknowledged her by laughing at her jokes or joining in on her taunts.

"Where's your little birdie, Erin?" a Slytherin girl called out. "Is it safe to walk around without her?"

Erin felt heat rise on her face. _Ignore them, ignore them_….

"Hey Nick, did you see they mentioned your dad's name in the paper?" Mulciber shouted. Nick stood still as the Slytherins laughed. "You think," Mulciber continued, "that he's the one who offed that Ministry wizard?"

Albus hissed, "Don't!" but Nick had already pulled out his wand and was pointing it at Mulciber. He opened his mouth, either to retort back or to cast a spell, and-

"Fighting, Grindelwald?" came an oily voice. Professor Baddock strode down the hall, his own wand out. Nick hastily stowed his away.

"Professor," said Albus, "they were mocking him-"

"Be that as it may, Mr. Potter, Professor Dippet made it very clear that there is no magic to be used in the corridors between classrooms. So that will be ten points off from Gryffindor."

"What!" Albus looked furious.

"And another ten if you don't keep your mouth shut. Please carry on to class," Baddock said, waving them on.

The three of them scurried to Charms class, away from the Slytherins' gleeful smirks. Erin met Albus' eyes and knew they were thinking the same thing.

Aristor was Nick's father?

They had Charms with the Ravenclaws, so Charlie resumed her "Erin-does-not-exist" persona. While Professor Flitwick was busy explaining _Wingardium Leviosa, _the levitating charm, Erin prodded Albus in the back with her wand. "Ask him!" she hissed, nodding in Nick's direction. Albus shook his head and mouthed, "You." Frustrated, Erin slumped back into her seat.

"Now, if you will all divide into pairs," Professor Flitwick said after awarding fifteen points to Ravenclaw for Rose successfully answering three of his questions in a row, "we can practice the levitation charm. Remember, swish and flick."

The class stood up as friends made their way towards one another. "No, no, don't make such a hassle- everybody sit!" cried Professor Flitwick in his tiny voice. "Weasley, you'll be with Thomas…. Lyths, pair up with Rade…."

Erin slid over beside a scrawny Ravenclaw boy with dark, curly hair. "Hello," he said. He spoke weirdly. "I'm Alexander Rade." He extended his hand. "Hello," Erin replied uncertainly, shaking it. His grip was firm.

"Wands at the ready!" Flitwick cried. "Your feather should already be at your desk."

Alexander had his wand out. "Lets see who can levitate their feather first, shall we?" he said.

"It's not a game," Erin said irritably, "it's just a lesson."

"But I like games," Alexander said with a grin.

Erin pulled out her own wand. _Swish and flick_, she thought. "Wingardium leviosa!" Even before the words came out of her mouth, she felt foolish. The incantation sounded childish and silly. The feather seemed to agree and remained lying on her desk.

Alexander, however, had managed to levitate his feather on the first try. It rose five feet into the air, above the heads of everyone else muttering the spell, and was awarded a praise from Professor Flitwick and five points for Ravencalw.

Rose was the second to levitate her feather. Professor Flitwick clapped his small hands in delight. "Oh very good, very good!" he squeaked. "That's another five points to Ravenclaw!"

The Gryffindors all hurried to earn their own house points. To Erin's left, Evan was muttering "Wingardium leviosa" with a fierce expression but kept forgetting the swish and flick. Albus and Nick didn't seem to be getting anywhere as well, although Nick couldn't have been trying too hard with his wand held loosely in his right hand and a bored expression on his face.

Erin raised her wand. _Just concentrate… feel it…._ "Wingardium leviosa!"

And quite suddenly, the feather rose until it was just about the height of Alexander's. She heard Professor Flitwick cry, "Wonderful Ms. Lyths, five points to Gryffindor… the rest of you can practice for homework."

There was a collected groan from the class. Erin looked at Alexander triumphantly. "I did it!"

"Yes," he said, turning to her with a lopsided smile, "but I win."


	16. A Breath of Air

Chapter Sixteen: A Breath of Air

Ever since the Gryffindors' first Auctorology lesson, they had been excited to return. As dictated, they only had their wands and rocks out.

Erin groaned as she entered when she saw Charlie sitting beside the group of Slytherins. Charlie turned around to give her a scowl, but didn't dare do anything more while in the presence of a teacher.

"So I imagine you've all used your time away to concoct your own ideas about the lesson I've prepared for you," Professor Ender said as the room quieted. "You've all brought you stones, yes? Excellent. Please place it on the center of your desk."

There was a rummaging noise as those who hadn't taken out their stones withdrew them from their bags. Erin hesitated. She hadn't shown hers to anyone yet. Carefully, she dropped her rock down before her. Nick sniggered beside her and she shot him a look.

Ender waved his wand and the calk scribbled, "Element One: Air" onto the board. "We reviewed the basics of air during our last lesson. Now its time we delve a little further. Air, as we said, is one of the fundamental basics to life. We need air to breath. We need it to survive.

"Wands raised!" he barked suddenly. Everybody fumbled for their wand. Ender grasped his own and made a spiral sort of movement. "Repeat that," he growled, and then patrolled the classroom to perfect each of their wand gestures. "Don't grip it so hard so, Mr. Wallman, you don't want to snap it…. It's not a _circle_, Ms. Nuse, watch me…. Very good, Mr. Malfoy, just like that…."

He went back to the front of the class. "The incantation is _Anima pnuem. _Say it with me now."

"Anima pnuem," the class chorused.

"This incantation was created by the great wizard Arnold Nicht, who thought he could use this to bring back his dead wife."

The class stirred at these words.

"He was wrong, of course," Ender said. "You can't bring someone back to life. This spell only imitates life, as Nicht found out to his despair. It gives a false breath of life to the desired object."

The se words didn't mitigate the class' excitement. Instead, they looked at their rocks with new wonder.

"Yes," Ender nodded, "as I'm sure you've figured out by now, we will be using this incantation to give your stones an imitation of life. It's a simple procedure, but for the spell to work, it takes a lot of strength and willpower. I want you all to _feel_ the air; feel it as you breathe, in and out; taste it, smell it….

"Good. Now, on the count of three, you'll make the wand movement, say the incantation, and then," Ender fixed a beady eye on the class, "you'll breathe into the stone.

"On the count of three then!"

Erin turned to Nick. "Did he just say _breathe_ into it?"

Ender, however, was already counting. "…Three!"

"Anima pnuem!"

Nothing extraordinary occurred. The rock remained as lifeless as ever. Glancing around to ascertain she wasn't going to make a fool of herself, Erin picked up the rock, pressed it against her lips, and blew out a gust of air.

For a moment she felt incredibly stupid. But then-

"Oh!" she cried, dropping the stone onto her desk. She thought she had felt a tremor.

Albus, who was closest to her, peered over at her stone after his attempt was deemed unsuccessful.

"Yeah, mine's not any different either," he said, gazing at her motionless stone sadly. And then suddenly, the rock rolled over.

It moved!" Albus hollered. "It definitely moved!"

Ender swept over to Erin's desk, followed by several other Gryffindor and Slytherin students alike.

Her stone twitched. The place where Erin's mouth had been moments ago now formed a small, hollow hole. With another shudder, the stone rolled over once more, but this time onto four stumpy legs.

"Ooh," the class gasped.

"It's so cute!" Scarlet squealed.

Ender gave Erin a distasteful look, and then swept off in the opposite direction when someone shouted, "Malfoy's done it as well!"

"How'd you do that?" Albus asked enviously as he watched Erin's stone lumber blindly around the desk (it didn't seem to have eyes).

"Look, I've done it too!" Nick said excitedly. And sure enough, his multi-colored stone was yawning and stretching its short legs.

"For those of you who were unsuccessful the first time, try again," Ender said. "Some people who don't have an affinity for air find this spell to be difficult. However, you may find the others more to your taste."

It took Albus three more tries to successfully give his stone life. By then, the Slytherins were making kissing faces in his direction each time he brought the stone to his lips. "Five points to everyone who has successfully completed the lesson," Ender said. "And that's _cheating_, Mr. Wallman," he growled as Evan tried passing his stone to Scarlet so she could do the incantation instead. "The lessons won't work unless its _your _air, _your _breath. Try it again for tonight- homework," he said, and Evan groaned.

Erin prodded the stone in its hole with her wand, and it tried chopping down on it. Scarlet was right. It was pretty cute. But she also wondered whether Arnold Nicht had been right as well, and the spell _could _bring someone back to life….

_The girl trudged through the town, her eyes cast downward. All around her, passersby gave her curt nods of respect. They knew where she had gone, and where she had come from. She could hear their whispers._

_But then the whispers changed._

"_Iren… Iren Lyths, yes," a woman said in a hushed undertone to her neighbor. "It's all quite horrible."_

"_He just dropped dead? Just like that? The old man seemed to have so much more life left in him."_

"_They only just found him," the woman continued to whisper. "There are rumors that he didn't just die, but that he was murdered... But hush, the poor girl doesn't know yet that her grandfather has died."_

_Did they think she was deaf? That she did not understand?_

_She watched faces, mingled with respect and pity, swim before her. She ran._


	17. The Truth About Aristor Grindelwald

Chapter Seventeen: The Dramatic Truth About Aristor Grindelwald is Unveiled…. Sort Of

In the common that night, all anyone was concerned with were the stones. The older kids couldn't mask the envy in their voices. "How come only first and second years get to learn Auctorology?" Ronda Moon, a sixth year, whined. "It's not fair!"

On one of the tables, Nick and Albus were making their stones race. A group of second year girls, who had not yet had the Auctorology lesson, were crowded around them squealing as the boys prodded their stones with their wands. Albus' was considerably faster.

"Six knuts that Grindelwald's beats Albus'," James said, counting out several small, bronze coins. Jace Moon shook his head. "You're crazy," he said. "Two sickles, then," James said with a grin. McLaggen laughed. "Alright then, I'll match that." He turned back to the race. "Come on, Potter. I've got faith in you."

But it seemed as though Albus' stone was tiring out, while Nick's was gaining speed. The smile vanished from McLaggen's face. "No way," he muttered. Erin watched as Nick's stone carefully climbed over Albus', amidst the laughing of the crowd, and proceeded to the finish line.

"I believe that's three sickles," James said, turning to McLaggen with a smile. McLaggen shoved the money into James' hand. "It was _two_ sickles. And you definitely rigged it."

Erin, holding her own wriggling stone in her hand, found a seat beside Nick, who was holding his stone in his outstretched arms and bowing to the crowds.

"It was a good try, Xavier," Albus said sadly, patting his rock.

"Who?"

"Xavier," said Albus, motioning to his rock. "He looked like a Xavier to me."

Erin looked at the emerald green rock and couldn't imagine anything that looked less like a Xavier.

"You _named_ it, Albus?" Nick said scathingly as he sat down again. He looked at Erin with a grin. "What, did you name yours too? Fairy Princess? Mrs. Tibbles?"

"No, I didn't," Erin said hotly.

"That's because it's too boring to name," Nick said. "What are you going to call it? Professor Binns? Here Binns, come here boy!"

And miraculously, the little rock in Erin's hands started crawling its way toward Nick. His grin broadened.

"Not a chance," Erin said stoutly.

But Nick laughed. "I think it likes it! Albus, you try."

"Here, Binns!"

The rock changed course and started Albus. The boys roared with laughter. No matter how many different names Erin called the rock, the name stuck; it wouldn't respond to anything but Binns.

"Thanks Nick, thanks _so_ much," Erin growled. "I guess I'll have to call yours McGonagall or something like that."

But Nick's rock didn't seem to hear her. It had curled up in what appeared to be a deep slumber.

On Erin's side, Albus seemed bursting to say something. His eyes were fixed unwavering on Nick. Nick sighed reluctantly. "Alright, just come out with it."

"Aristor-Grindelwald-is-your-father?" Albus said in one breath. He looked relieved, as though he had been dying to ask all day. Erin, too, had to admit she was curious.

Nick frowned but didn't push off the question. "Yes, he is," he said heavily. "Or was. He wasn't exactly the most fatherly person. Left us when I was eight.

"But if I could, I'd find him and throw him into Azkaban myself. They weren't lying, in the Daily Prophet, when they said he'd done all sorts of illegal experimentations. That's part of the reason why he left us," he said scowling. Erin noticed his fists were balled up. "He left too much damage."

"Is that why your mum moved to England?" Erin asked.

Nick nodded. "Yeah, part of the reason. There was just too much of him in Bulgaria."

"And what's Azkaban?"

"It's the wizard prison," Albus answered at once, "but it's awful, really, worse than you could ever imagine. Dad told me once, but he made me swear not to tell Mum he told me…. He says its guarded by dementors, who suck the happiness out of you and leave you feeling miserable and desolate." He paused, letting his words sink in.

At the other side of the common room, James, Jace, and McLaggen had captured everyone's attention with a small box. "Stand back!" James warned. "We've seen it spit out fire nearly five feet." The girls all shrieked and cowered behind some of the larger fifth years.

"But there are some people," Erin began slowly, "that don't even deserve to stay alive in prison."

"Who do you have in mind?" Albus wondered as the common room erupted into screams and laughter. James seemed to have dropped whatever it was that was in the box and it was now running around the common room floor.

Erin shook her head hurriedly. "No one, just… what happens to those people? Do they die?"

"It's worse than death," Albus said.

"What can be worse than death?"

Albus grimaced. "The dementors suck out their souls. It's the _worst_ thing that could happen to someone… nearly happened to my dad."

"Got it!" James yelled, scooping down and picking up what appeared to be a chipmunk, only it was coughing smoke. The Gryffindors whooped, and Eric the prefect stuck his head out from one of the dorm doors. "Quiet!" he shouted, slamming the door, but James paid him no heed.

"My dad deserves it," Nick said shortly, folding his arms, "and don't you tell me that I should take that back!" he shot at Erin.

"I wasn't going to," she said quietly.

"Because I'm not going to," he went on. "That dirty, disgusting, lying, evil, horrible excuse for a-"

"Holy cow!" shouted James as the chipmunk belched a foot long flame. Jace shouted, "Poke it again in the stomach, it shot out three feet when you did that…."

"I said quiet!" Eric yelled, shouting over the din. He stormed through the common room. "It's time to go to bed, everybody!" When it was clear nobody was going to listen, he exited through the portrait hole.

"So do you think," Albus asked, "that your dad had something to do with that Auror's disappearance?"

_You couldn't have asked a more tactless question, _Erin thought to herself. But Nick frowned, pondering it. "Could be…" he murmured thoughtfully, "I mean, it wouldn't be the first time he destroyed somebody's life."

"How dare you!" came a shrill yell. The common room immediately fell silent as Professor McGonagall strode in through the portrait hole, wearing a very pink and frilly nightcap, followed by a grim looking Eric. "Do you realize what time it is? All of you, to bed!"

There was a scraping of chairs and a hurry to get back to the dormitories; Erin grabbed Binns and bade Albus and Nick goodnight before McGonagall could lay her fiery eyes on her.

At night, Erin lay awake wondering if Nick's hatred for his father was as strong as Erin's for her brother.


	18. The Body in the Haunted House

Chapter Eighteen: The Body in the Haunted House

As Halloween approached and October came to a chilly end, Erin could hardly believe she had been at Hogwarts nearly two months. She had grown accustomed to her classes and teachers, and had already built herself a name amongst the first years. She wasn't as knowledgeable as Rose Weasley in the matter of test taking and answering questions, but her magical capabilities were equal or perhaps even better.

The tension between her and Charlie grew into a sort of rivalry, where each would attempt to answer first, complete the spell first, or just win the praise of the teacher- first. Nick said their enmity was silly but Erin could tell that he was on her side.

A week before Halloween, Albus and Rose, both pink from the cold, approached Erin and Nick. "You won't believe what the seventh years are planning!" Albus said excitedly.

"They're making a haunted house for the school," said Rose. She too looked rather interested. "They wanted to decorate the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade, but I heard Dippet wouldn't let them because its actually haunted," she said, lowering her voice.

"So what are they doing then?"

"They've built it out on the grounds," Albus said, "We passed it on our way back from Hagrid's. It's _huge_. I wonder what they'll put in it?"

"Oh, probably just some chimeras and a werewolf or two," James said as he drew level with them. Albus looked pale. "You think so?"

"Of course not," Rose snapped," the school would never allow that, it would be too dangerous."

"We'll see, little cuz," James said with a wink, "but don't say I didn't warn you guys."

The night of the Halloween feast Erin couldn't remember anyone wanting to leave dinner so early. The entire hall seemed to bristle in anticipation, wondering what the seventh years had in store for them. Finally, after dessert, Dippet rose. "I know you have all been waiting to explore the haunted house the seventh years have so kindly offered to prepare for us-"

Erin saw several seventh years grin wickedly.

"-so you may all go, house by house, to see, please wait your turn-"

But the students in the Great Hall didn't wait to listen. With one big uproar, the entire student body rose and sprinted out of the Great Hall towards the grounds.

"Come on!" Albus said, tugging on Erin and Nick. They followed the crowd through the entrance doors, and out into the icy cold that stung against their faces.

The haunted house was hard to miss. It was _huge_, as Albus correctly described it. Three stories high, complete with a chimney, balcony, and creepy, fluttering shutters, it seemed to fall straight out of a horror novel. Except the whole house looked as though it were held up entirely by magic.

Students were already pouring in. Erin could hear screams issuing from the inside.

The three of them entered with a group of Ravenclaws that included Rose and Alexander Rade, Erin's partner from Charms class. "Welcome to my home," a voice hissed. A skeleton emerged from the shadows of a dark corner. "I hope you enjoy your visit." He disappeared back into the darkness, cackling.

"Oh, very scary," Nick said, rolling his eyes, although Rose had let out a muffled squeal when the skeleton appeared suddenly.

They ventured through the house, and even Erin had to admit the decorations and ploys the seventh years had arranged to startle them were getting considerably scarier. She gave a violent start of surprise when the floor they were standing on shifted suddenly and formed a black pit in which she almost fell into. "It's fake, look," Nick said, stomping on the pit with his foot and hitting sturdy glass.

They deviated from the crowd, taking a left instead by the staircase so that they soon reached a dead end. "Nice move, Albus," Nick said, although it had been his idea to explore the separate landing.

Albus reached for the handle of a door against the wall. "Let's see what's in here…." He pulled it open. "Argh!"

Dozens of bats came soaring out, flapping their leathery wings in Erin's face. She shielded her face with her arms and heard her friends scampering off. "Wait!" she called, blundering after them. She took a turn and found that she was quite alone in a dark hallway.

Perhaps they went through one of these doors? She reached for the one nearest to her; checking that there were no unexpected flying creatures, she stepped inside. The room had a greenish glow about it. There were dolls lined up, one on top of the other, behind a glass screen. The room was empty with no other exits. She would have to try another door.

Before exiting, Erin paused. What she had thought to be dolls were really, on a closer look, very artfully designed dead bodies. She pressed her face against the screen, her breath fogging up the glass.

There was a little boy with his eyes closed and a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth; a woman with vampire features who had a stake through her heart; and….

Erin screamed, so loudly she thought for a crazy moment she might wake the bodies. And then she fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Erin? Erin? Are you alright?" came a concerned voice.

"I _knew_ this wasn't a good idea," a voice said crossly.

Another, more brisk voice, said, "Some people just don't have the stamina."

Erin opened her eyes; it was very dark out. She was lying on the ground outside the haunted house. She could still hear laughter and shrieks from the students inside.

Nick was standing over her with Professor McGonagall, who looked very upset, and another woman who was dabbing Erin's forehead with a wet cloth. "Oh good, you're awake," the woman said. "Here, eat this, it'll make you feel better." Without waiting for a response, she pushed a piece of chocolate into Erin's mouth. Erin spluttered, choking on it, but felt an immediate warmth spread throughout her body after she had swallowed it.

"How're you feeling?" Nick asked as Erin sat up. She felt heat rising to her face, wondering why they were making such a big deal over her when they _should_ be inside there.

"You fainted inside the house," Professor McGonagall explained. Her lips were stretched tight. "I told Dippet some students can't handle this, I _told_ him…."

"No, I'm fine, its not that," Erin said as the woman bustled over her. "There's a body in there!"

"Yes, yes, I know, there are plenty of them, enough to give anybody a fright," Professor McGonagall said dismissively.

Erin shook her head frantically. "You don't understand. There's a real body in there, I swear!"

Professor McGonagall looked at her incredulously. "Ms. Lyths, its only a Halloween scare," she said, "surely you know all the decorations are fake…."

"Yes, but one of the bodies is real, he's dead!" she said loudly. Some of the students who had exited the house were looking at her funny. Professor McGonagall placed a firm grip on her elbow. "Poppy, maybe you should take Ms. Lyths to the hospital wing…."

"I saw him!" Erin cried, beating the woman named Poppy's hand away. "In the green room with the fake bodies. He's dead!" she repeated.

"What's going on here?"

Ender swept over, looking like a walking Halloween fright himself, with his gaunt face, black eyes, and billowing cloak.

"Erin says she saw a dead body in the haunted house," Nick answered.

Ender peered at Erin. "Is that so?"

"I know a dead body when I see one," she retorted.

_A headless corpse was lying in its own blood. The girl backed away and tripped over an object on the floor. She screamed._

_It was a head. Her father's head._

_She saw her mother wasn't lying too far off._

"Headmaster!" Ender called suddenly. Dippet appeared at his side. "Yes?"

"Ms. Lyths says she saw a dead body inside the house. As improbably as that may be, I deem it prudent to check."

Dippet nodded. "Poppy, you can come as well, to be sure," Dippet said, and the three of them departed for the house.

Nick sat on the ground beside Erin. "There were a lot of scary things in there…" he began. Erin scowled. "I know what I saw." They fell silent. Erin felt her heart pounding; what if she was wrong and she had caused this whole commotion for nothing?... Or worse, what if she wasn't wrong?

It didn't take long for Dippet, Ender, and Poppy to return. Erin immediately knew from the look on Poppy's face. "It's horrible," the woman said in a whisper.

Professor McGonagall put her hand over her heart. "Oh dear Lord," she murmured. Ender pointed his wand at his throat and spoke, his voice magnified, "All students are asked to exit the haunted house immediately. This is an emergency." He turned to Dippet. "I'll go inside and clear the house; there are probably some kids who'll think its daring to stay." He stalked off back into the house as students emerged from all exits, muttering confusedly amongst themselves.

"I'll contact the Aurors," Dippet said to Professor McGonagall. "They'll want to come here themselves, now that Seamus Finnigan's body's been found."


	19. The Investigation Continues

Chapter Nineteen: The Investigation Continues

Over the next few days, all anyone in the school talked about was the body found in the haunted house. The seventh years who had designed the house had all been questioned by the investigating Aurors, but they were firm in denying to have ever seen the body.

Erin found herself bombarded with questions as well, but from students from all four houses. It became common knowledge that Erin had found and spotted the body. Some rumors went as far as saying that Erin had had to duel the body, which had miraculously come back to life, escape a room of zombies, and battle off vampire bats just to exit the house in one piece.

And of course, the whole school wondered who the killer was.

"I overheard Dippet and the Aurors talking," Rose whispered to Erin during a particularly arduous Herbology class that involved a snapping daffodil. "They were telling him that the body had been tortured before he was killed."

"Tortured?" Albus repeated, horrified.

"Yeah, the body apparently went through phases of incredible cold and incredible heat…."

"It must have been someone really powerful," Albus said as they walked to Transfiguration class, "to get through all the enchantments around Hogwarts and put the body there."

"Or the person's already in Hogwarts," Nick muttered darkly. "I wouldn't put it past Ender, or even Baddock, they seem fowl enough."

"I wonder what was the purpose, though," Erin wondered thoughtfully, "of putting the body in the haunted house? Its almost like the killer wanted it to be found…"

They settled themselves into their seats as Professor McGonagall entered the room. "We'll be continuing with out lesson with the matchsticks," she said. "Come pick one from the box and we'll get started."

The quiet room slowly filled with a buzz as students murmured the incantation or rather, used the noise to cover their own conversation.

"Do you think the Aurors will catch whoever did it?" Albus whispered, waving his wand in a fake attempt as Professor McGonagall swept by.

"Probably," Nick said, "they're crawling all over the school. They're bound to find something. I heard," he added in an undertone, "that they searched Baddock's office, you know, because he teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"That's silly, though," Erin said gruffly. "Baddock's been here for three years. Now _Ender's_ only working his first year here… clearly that should raise suspicions."

"Yeah, Mum and Dad are worried," Albus said. "They're been writing every day now to make sure I'm okay. And Dad warned me to stay out of it…" Albus grinned, "like I'm going to catch the killer or something."

"Really!" Professor McGongall cried. She was staring at the class with a shocked expression. "I've never before seen a class less focused on their studies."

"But Professor," piqued a small Hufflepuff girl.

"Quiet, Ms. Creevey," Professor McGonagall snapped. "I understand you've all been affected by that horrible even on Halloween night. However, that is no reason to neglect your schoolwork! Professor Dippet and the Aurors are fully capable of handling the investigation and finding the culprit. Mark my words, by December this even will be nearly forgotten. Now I suggest you all once more turn your attention to the matchsticks on your desks, seeing as Ms. Lyths and Ms. Zabini have been the only ones to successfully transform them into needles thus far."

With a sigh of consent, the class turned back to the spell they were supposed to be performing. Charlie turned to face Erin. "Find any more dead bodies lately?" she mouthed.

"What?" Erin hissed back.

Charlie's eyes darkened. "You're a freak, Erin Lyths," she said, just loud enough for the students sitting around her to turn and stare. "No one else knew it was a dead body. You're weird, Erin." She turned her back to Erin and Erin felt a wave of fury crash over her.

_It was all too bright and too cheery. The room was painted white, with alternating circles in flowers that ranged from yellow to red, contrasting to the bleak, gray hallways from which the girl had just emerged. The carpeted floor, too, was a sickening, neon green._

_The girl clutched at the folds of her dress, already miserable._

"_Now children, be nice!" a smiling woman called out into the room filled with children. Some of them paused to look up and stare curiously at the girl. "Everybody, this is Erin Lyths," the woman said, giving the girl a nudge forward. The woman was wearing too much lipstick, making her smile seem more hostile than it should have._

"_Why does she have a bird on her shoulder?" a little boy pointed out. The woman's smile faded as she took in the falcon. "It's _weird,_" a girl next to the boy drawled, and the boy nodded. "It's her pet," she said to the room, but she whispered in Erin's ear, "Sweetie, I'm going to take the animal, okay? It's filthy. You can't bring it in here."_

_As her hand reached out toward the falcon, the girl emitted a horrible shriek. The woman immediately withdrew her hand. "No, no, no!" the girl screamed, stomping her feet and clutching at the bird. "Leave me alone!"_

"_What did she say, Matron?" the woman nervously asked a large, beefy woman that had just arrived behind them. The large woman bent down to the girl's height and in a voice that was none too friendly said, "What is it, Erin?"_

"_I-don't-want-to-be-here," the girl said angrily, glaring at the woman. "I want to go home!"_

"_Stop hissing," the large woman said, giving her a sharp smack in the face. The falcon cawed angrily, and the girl felt her face grow hot. The beefy woman stood. "Call me when she wants to speak to us properly," she said to the lipsticked woman, who nodded._

_The large woman spat. "What a weird child," she said._

_The little boy in the room perked up his head. "That's what I said!" _


	20. Dear Mika: Part Two

_Dear Mika,_

_How are you? Hope everything is well._

_I never got your last letter. It must have gotten lost along the way. I know how hard Hogwarts is to find._

_Things are getting strange here. I don't know if you've heard, but a body's been found on Hogwarts grounds. And on Halloween night. He was a Dark Wizard catcher, which makes it a very high profile case. There are investigating Aurors all over the school, questioning students and faculty. I hear they're planning to make an arrest soon, but I think its just to show that they've accomplished something._

_I'll admit it thought. I'm scared, Mika. I was considering coming back home. I know the killer wanted the body to be found. Why else would they place it in the Haunted House, where everyone could see it? It's like this is all some sort of joke to them._

_But it's not that. I heard that the victim was tortured before he was killed. He was put through alternating hot and cold cycles…. Sound familiar? You know what this means. I told myself it was unrelated, trying to delude myself that I could stay out of this. But I don't think I can anymore. Sooner or later the Aurors are going to question me and I'm going to have to tell them everything I know. What do I do, Mika? I've kept everything a secret so far. I lied to myself to protect you. But what if they find out anyway?_

_I should never have left. I knew I should have stayed back. Coming to Hogwarts was a mistake. I was only being selfish, that's all. I'm sorry. Could you ever forgive me?_

_And what scares me most as that he might be here. In the school. With me. _

_Forget I ever said that. I'm not scared. In fact, I'd be thrilled to find him in the school. Ecstatic. Maybe then he'd get what he deserves._

_I've enclosed a Chocolate Frog's card in the letter. It's Morgana. I know how much you like collecting the cards, and she reminded me of you. Hope you like it._

_Please write back as soon as you can!_

_-Love Always-_


	21. The Dark Abyss

Chapter Twenty-One: The Abyss That Seems Random But Is Not Random At All

Erin awoke one morning feeling confused and disorientated and unsure why she was awake. Then she felt a sharp pain in her ear and knew that was what had woken her up.

"Ouch!" she cried, sitting up in bed. Sapphira fell onto her lap, casting her eyes down sheepishly. "What was that for?" Erin hissed angrily, swiping at Sapphira. The bird ducked.

Erin slumped back under her covers. She supposed Sapphira had been feeling lonely and neglected lately, and Erin could understand why. Between her classes, schoolwork, and new friends, Erin hadn't had time to even think lately.

She and Sapphira had never parted for such a long period of time before. They had been together, inseparable, for years. At first, the adjustment had been quite hard on both Erin and her loyal friend; having to leave Sapphira back in the dormitory rather than bring her to class seemed like the most difficult task she would have to manage. Now, however, she had gotten quite used to Sapphira not being around. Erin squirmed guiltily.

Now that Sapphira had woken her up, however, she couldn't fall back asleep. Erin looked outside, sighing; it was only dawn. She threw back the covers and noticed how cold it had become in the dormitory. Her feet were already turning a pale blue. "Next it'll start snowing in here," she muttered, rummaging through the bottom layers of her trunk to find a pair of wool socks she prayed she had been smart enough to buy back at Diagon Alley. Her finger brushed against something cold and hard, and she reached in, withdrawing a silver key.

Erin had all but forgotten the small key Marigold Ollivander had given to her in Diagon Alley. She peered at it closely. Somehow, it felt important. Knowing that it would get lost in the mess already forming in her trunk, she ripped off a string hanging off one of her frayed shirts and slung it through the key. She hung it around her neck and let it hang by her chest. It felt nice there.

The other girls eventually awoke a little while later, Charlie included, ("You call those socks?" she snorted, pointing at the wooly mammoths on Erin's feet.) so Erin left to go find Nick and Albus for breakfast.

They were already at the Great Hall when Erin arrived. "Cool necklace," Albus commented when Erin sat down beside them. "Isn't it, Nick?"

Nick, who was busy writing a letter, didn't look up but merely grunted.

_There was a fire crackling at the stone grate. A beautiful woman sat in red chair before it, weaving a long, patched blanket. The girl was silent and watching the woman's hand move, extraordinarily fast, with wide eyes._

_The door opened suddenly, bringing in a gust of cold into the warm room. Two men entered, one taller than the other; both had the same black hair and gold eyes. _

"_Bella," the taller one said, coming over to kiss the beautiful woman on the forehead. The other man, more of a boy than a man, hung his coat to dry on a chair and shook the snow out his hair. He came to sit beside the girl by the fire._

"_Happy birthday, Bella dear," the girl's father murmured. "I got you something."_

_The woman put down her half woven blanket and smiled. "What is it?"_

_He pulled out from beneath his cloak a small bundle. Inside was a necklace with five blue beads. It was dazzling._

"_How charming!" the girl's mother exclaimed, slipping the necklace over her neck where it shone against her creamy white chest. "Wear that, and I'll know you're safe," her father said. "Press it to your lips, and I'll know something's wrong. I'll be there immediately."_

_The girl, observing all this, reached out a hand eagerly to touch the pretty beads. Her brother beside her pulled her hand back. "Don't," he warned. The girl frowned._

_The beautiful woman turned to the girl. "Erin, how do you like Father's present?"_

_The girl shrugged._

Albus scanned the schedule. "Ugh, double Potions with the Slytherins later…" he muttered. Then he pointed at the date. "Hey Nick… isn't it your birthday?"

Nick finally looked up. "Er yeah, I suppose it is," he admitted reluctantly. Albus clapped his hands. "Happy birthday!" he cried. "Why didn't you say something?"

Nick gave a noncommittal shrug, and Erin said, "Happy birthday, Nick." Then she grinned. "Don't worry, I hate birthdays too."

"When's yours, then?" Albus asked. "Mine's not until May."

"February thirteenth."

"Isn't that the day before Valentine's Day?" Albus asked. Erin groaned. "Don't remind me. Worst birthday date ever."

"Hey," Nick said, grinning now, "it could've been worse, couldn't it? You could have been born a day later."

"That would have been _so _cool," Scarlet, who had apparently been eavesdropping, gushed beside them, "I wish I was born on Valentine's Day. That's so romantic."

"You make me sick," Erin muttered under her breath. Nick and Albus laughed.

The last class of the day was Potions. None of them were too eager to have a double lesson with the Slytherins. Professor Prince's throaty voice issued directions from behind a faze of purple smoke, unaware of the hushed insults the Slytherins were throwing their way.

"Just ignore them," Erin whispered to Evan as Charlie did a very believable imitation of Evan's slackened, bewildered expression when he was called on in class. "Just ignore them," Mulciber mimicked her in a high-pitched tone. They snickered. Erin noticed Scorpious had stopped laughing.

"Professor Prince?" came a boy's voice from the doorway. It was Jace Moon. "Professor Dippet requests to speak with Erin Lyths and Nicholas Grindelwald in his office immediately."

"Very well then," Professor Prince said, nodding at them to leave.

Erin wondered if Dippet was checking up on her again and planning to ask her some further questions about her family. But then why was Nick called as well?

Behind her she could the Slytherins snickering. "Looks like they found out who killed the Auror!" Erin heard one of the girls chortle.

Erin led the way to Dippet's office. "What do you reckon?" Nick said, clearly nervous. The gargoyles sprung apart for them, providing an entrance that lead to the spiral staircase.

"I wasn't in trouble last time when I was called," Erin said slowly as they ascended. "I don't think we've done anything wrong. Or at least, _I_ haven't."

Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw something in Nick's pocket move. "What's that?"

"Oh, it's nothing…."

But she pulled it out anyway. "Ha!" she cried, holding his multi-colored stone triumphantly in her hand. "You carry it around with you?"

"No," Nick retorted, grabbing his stone back. 'It must have snuck into my pocket…. Viktor doesn't like being alone…."

"Oh, so you named it?" Erin grinned ever more amused. "And I thought names were stupid?"

"I only named it because you guys- oops!" Nick cried, tripping over the step. He dropped Viktor onto the step directly before him.

Almost immediately, there was a loud grinding noise, and the step, which Viktor had fallen upon, opened into a large, black crevasse. Erin and Nick stared at each other open mouthed for a split second. Then they ran back the way they had come from.

"Viktor!" Nick cried, stumbling down the steps and looking back over his shoulder longingly.

"No time for that!" Erin called, her heart pounding. She wasn't sure they'd make it down the stairs in time. Sure enough, the crevasse began to widen faster, until it was close behind them… biting at Nick's heels… his foot slipped into it….

"NO!" Erin shouted, wrenching Nick towards her. But the pull of the black crevasse was too great. Erin toppled over Nick and together the two of them spiraled downwards toward the darkness….

And then, with a sudden bout of energy, Erin whipped her wand out of her pocket. She felt it grow it searing hot in her hands and then hot beneath her feet. A chorus of flames suddenly erupted, propelling Erin and Nick out of the crevasse and onto the bottom landing where the crevasse did not reach as it was rampaging what remained of the stairs.

Nick's head smacked onto the hard tiles, and he groaned, his eyes fluttering. Erin leaned over him. "Happy birthday, Nick."


	22. An Auror Named Maurer

Chapter Twenty-Two: An Auror Named Maurer

The two of them were rushed to the hospital wing as soon as the faculty had been alerted. Poppy, or rather Madame Pomfrey, as Erin discovered she was called, gave Erin a disapproving look and said, "You again?" before fussing over the state of Nick's head.

The door to the hospital wing flew open, and Professor McGonagall barged in, followed by a harried looking Professor Dippet and a squinty-eyed man, who was rather smaller and stockier than his two companions. "Ms. Lyths!" Professor McGonagall cried, rushing over to the bed where she laid, as Nick was currently preoccupied. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Erin said.

"Ms. Lyths, you and Mr. Grindelwald nearly _died_, I don't think 'fine' is the correct response. This is the second scare she's received this year," she said, turning to the squinty-eyed man, who nodded as though he understood, "so naturally she must be in shock. I've proposed sending her to go see a school counselor…."

"I don't need to see anyone," Erin said heatedly. Dippet came to stand at the opposite side of her bed. He wiped a few beads of sweat off his brow. "Erin, if you feel up to it, could you please describe the events that occurred?"

"Yeah, I told you, I'm fine. Nick and I left Potions early and were heading up to your office-"

"Why were you going to see the headmaster?" the squinty-eyed man interrupted. Erin didn't like the heavy suspicion that rang in his voice.

"Jace Moon told us Professor Dippet wanted to see us. You can ask Professor Prince, he'll verify."

"No, she's right, Wallace," Dippet said nodding, "I needed to speak with them. Please continue, Erin."

"So we were headed up the stairs, and Nick dropped his stone, and then-"

"Stone?" the man named Wallace interrupted again. "The stone we got in Auctorology class," Erin said dismissively. "Will you let me finish my story?"

Wallace fell silent.

"So _then_ Nick dropped his stone, and the steps disappeared and turned into this large black hole, and we ran. And that's it," she finished lamely. No need to say they had nearly fallen in or that she had miraculously saved them. Or rather, that her wand had.

Dippet, Professor McGonagall, and Wallace all turned to one another. "That trap required a great deal of Dark Magic," Wallace said in an undertone. Professor McGonagall looked fearful. "Is that what you think it was? A trap?"

"Of course," Wallace said, and he cast a significant look towards Dippet. Dippet shook his head. "No, I won't believe it…."

"Now's not the time to believe or disbelieve," Wallace snapped. "This has gone too far. It's now very obvious that there's someone trying to kill you. After that decoy, I had my suspicions. But I didn't ever think it was as serious as Dark Magic."

"It's curious, though," Professor McGonagall said, frowning. "Doesn't this remind you of something, headmaster?" 

"What?"

"Remember that room in the haunted house where the floor disappeared and turned into a dark pit… fake, of course. But the similarities between the two are so great, I can't help but wonder… do you think whoever it is got the idea from the house?" Professor McGongall asked.

Dippet closed his eyes as though remembering something. "Could be."

"So then it must be someone in this school," Professor McGonagall whispered. Erin strained her ears to hear. "I'm almost sure of it," Wallace said. Professor McGonagall looked horrified. "A teacher?" She looked behind her shoulder as though expecting to see Madame Pomfrey attacking them from the back.

"Yes… I'm going to have to investigate everyone thoroughly. With your permission, of course," Wallace said to Dippet, inclining his head. "I suppose so," Dippet said. Wallace gave him a strange look. "You seem very calm throughout all this, headmaster. You're not worried?"

"Well, if whoever it is wanted me dead by now, I'm sure they would have succeeded," Dippet said slowly. "They seem to be putting in a lot of effort to just make a show."

"_Headmaster_," Wallace said through gritted teeth. "They've made it very clear they want you dead. This last ploy, creating a never-ending abyss, was created right outside _your _office, activated by a step right by _your_ office. We're lucky we managed to get rid of it before it spread any further. And these students are just lucky to have survived," Wallace said, nodding at Erin and Nick. "But next time, they might not be so lucky… and neither might you."

"I understand. Thank you, Wallace," Dippet said. "I'll be in your office at half past eight," Wallace called as he exited the room. "There's something you're not telling me, headmaster!"

As he left, another man entered, this one with short red hair and a clean-shaven face. "Are they here, headmaster?" he asked in a curt voice. Dippet sighed. "Not now, Maurer, I don't know if you've heard but there's just been an accident…"

"I heard," Maurer responded. "But I've got to speak with them immediately. If you two would kindly exit the room…." He spotted Madame Pomfrey hovering over Nick. "And you too, Madame. This will only take a moment."

Erin suddenly didn't want to be left alone in the room with this man and Nick. Madame Pomfrey seemed to feel the same way. "These children have just experienced a horrible trauma!" she cried. "They need bed rest!"

"The boy seems to have merely bumped his head. And as for the girl, she seems to be in perfect condition," Maurer said coldly. "The Ministry of Magic asks you to please let us do our job. Exit the room, please. We won't be long." Madame Pomfrey harrumphed, but didn't press the point; she left with Dippet and Professor McGonagall, both of whom were in heavy whispers.

The door closed with a snap behind them and Maurer conjured up a stool that he sat on directly between the beds where Erin and Nick laid. "I was the one who requested Professor Dippet you call you to his office. I wanted to speak with each of you. I had hoped to do this separately," he said, "unfortunately, this incident has gotten in the way. No matter, though. Questioning you shouldn't take long.."

"Question us?" Erin asked. "What for? I already described what happened to Wallace."

"I don't care for _that_. I'm here investigating the death of Seamus Finnigan."

"We don't know anything about that," Erin said, narrowing her eyes. Maurer chuckled coldly. "That's for me to find out, isn't it? Let's start with you, Nicholas _Grindelwald_," he said to Nick, he flinched slightly at being addressed to. He hadn't spoken the entire time.

"Nicholas, are you aware that your father is one of the most wanted criminals abroad?"

"Yes," Nick said, wincing in pain as he tried to look angry but only managing to exacerbate the bruise on his head.

"Are you aware that Seamus Finnigan was in charge of investigation?"

"No- well yes, I read it in the Prophet…."

"Have you had any contact with your father since the warrant for his arrest? Have you seen or communicated with him in any way? Do you know where he is right now?" 

"No," Nick snapped. "Sir, can I ask you a question? Do you really believe my father killed Seamus Finnigan?"

"I definitely believe he was involved somehow. I don't believe Seamus Finnigan was tortured before death, but _experimented_ on," Maurer said with somewhat of a shudder. "So you can understand why I suspect your father, especially since there have been recent sightings of him in England."

"There have been-"

Maurer cut him off. "Did you ever meet a man named Malvus France?" Nick frowned and shook his head. "No, I don't think so…. Wasn't he that man that Finnigan was investigating along with my father? Isn't he dead? What's he got to do with this?"

"What about someone named Rein Lyths?"

Erin gasped horribly, and then clapped her hands over her mouth immediately. Maurer gave her a grim smile. "Yes, I'll be getting to you soon…" His head snapped back to Nick. "Well?"

"Rein Lyths…" Nick murmured, gazing at Erin oddly. "I may have seen him around our place once or twice. Gold eyes," he said as confirmation, still staring at Erin.

Maurer's smile widened. "Excellent. I suspected they were working together. This is just what I needed. I've already spoken to your mother, of course-"

"You spoke to my mother!" Nick looked outraged. "She doesn't want to think about this stuff, you think she likes it when you bring this up?"

"I'm only doing my job," Maurer said smoothly. "In any case, she couldn't tell me much. You're right. She doesn't seem to remember anything. Or at least, doesn't want to. Very well then, last question, Nicholas, and then you can rest your head again. What can you tell me about the last project your father was working on before he disappeared?"

Erin saw Nick's fists curl up into balls like he did when he suppressing memories that made him angry. "Nothing," he retorted, perhaps in a voice that was too soaked in fury because Maurer raised his eyebrows. "You do realize that by withholding information you are committing a crime against the Ministry of Magic and are thus liable to-"

"Alright, alright!" Nick said loudly. "He was… working on a way to extract the magic out of a person."

Erin froze. _Extract magic? _It sounded very painful… and horrible. Maurer appeared to be thinking along the same lines. His eyes seemed to be close to popping. "And did- did he succeed?" He seemed almost afraid to ask the question.

Nick nodded. "Yes," he said, rather hesitantly.

"On who?"

But Nick reached the end of his participation. He closed his eyes and settled underneath the cover. "No one I knew," he mumbled, and then turned over.

Maurer, stroking his brow as he processed everything Nick had said, turned to Erin.

"It's your turn."


	23. Interrogation

Chapter Twenty-three: Interrogation

"Is Rein Lyths your brother?"

"Yes."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

Erin didn't even have to think. "Four years ago," she responded immediately.

"What happened on the last day you saw him?"

She drew in a sharp intake of breath. _How much did he know_? "He left."

But Maurer was not to be fooled. He looked at her with a gleam in his eye. "What happened to your parents?"

"I don't see how this is relevant to the investigation."

"Oh, its very relevant," Maurer said, bobbing his head. "Now tell me, what happened with your parents and Rein?"

"He killed them."

"Mhm…." Maurer murmured, scribbling notes on a clipboard that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Erin could feel Nick's eyes burning into her. "And did you ever meet anyone named Malvus France or Aristor Grindelwald?" Maurer asked, still writing furiously. Erin shook her head.

"Do you know why he killed them?" said Maurer. Erin chewed the inside of her lip. "I thought we finished with this topic." Maurer gave her a very unsympathetic smile. "Do you have any idea why?" he repeated.

"Because he's evil."

"Okay… and you witnessed all this occurring?" 

"I only found their bodies. I never saw him kill them."

_The wind outside howled._

_Doors slammed._

_Dogs barked._

_But the room was frozen in silence and stillness. The girl tried to breathe, but there didn't seem to be enough air. The tears refused to come as well. She choked._

_She touched her mother's hair. Begged her to get up._

_Her mother didn't listen. She continued to stare into the eternal depths of something the girl could not see._

_And then suddenly, the shadows shifted, and _he _was there._

"_Rein!" the girl cried, her voice returning to her. She had never felt more glad or relieved to see him. She rushed over to him. Then stopped._

_There was a strange smile playing at his lips._

"Then how do you know it was your brother?"

Erin stared at Maurer as though he were insane. Did he really doubt her? "Because he was _there!_" she cried. "Just staring at their dead bodies. He told me he killed them."

"You talked to him after he had killed your parents?"

"Well…. Yes. _He_ spoke to me."

"_I'm so sorry you had to find them like this," Rein said in a lofty voice as though he were discussing the weather. The girl felt her breath escape her once more. _Rein was here, everything was going to be fine, Rein was going to fix this, Rein was here….

_Why _was_ Rein here?_

"_I do hope you can forgive me. I had to kill them, you know."_

"_NO!" _

_Her cry came out as a pleading sob. "No, Rein, it wasn't you."_

"_Yes. It was."_

_The girl shook her head feverishly. "No, it wasn't. Stop saying that. You would never do that."_

"_How do you know? What I would and wouldn't do?" Although Rein was still smiling, his eyes were flashing with dark anger. "I was once like you. I knew nothing. They didn't tell us anything. They hid everything from us. But they should've realized… they should've known… that I would find out. Oh yes, I would find out…."_

_He leaned down so that they were at the same height. "Would you like to know?"_

"And what did he tell you? He didn't tell you why he killed them?"

"No, he must have forgotten that part," Erin snapped and Maurer asked, "Do you know why he left you alive?"

"_I-I don't want to die! Rein, please!"_

_This was all a nightmare. It could not be real. Here she was, prostrating herself before the brother she had always loved and begging him to spare her life._

_Please wake up, she begged herself, please wake up._

_But like her mother, she didn't wake up from the horrible nightmare._

_Rein, however, just laughed at her words. "I'm not going to kill you, Erin. I love you, just like I loved Mother and Father."_

_But you killed them._

_Rein seemed to know what she was thinking. "It was time to take what was rightfully mine," he said, nodding to himself as though justifying it in his mind. "If there was any other way, believe me, I would have spared them. But I fear this is the path I was destined for. _We _are destined for," he said, smiling approvingly at the girl._

_She thought she might retch._

"_We are alike, you and I. You remind me of a younger version of myself. Trusting, naïve… but very powerful, with enough sense to know what to do with your power. That's the funny thing about power," Rein said, his eyes glinting. "So many people have it but they don't know how to or are afraid to use it. It's a disgrace, a complete waste," he spat, narrowly missing her father's head. "They should be thankful," he said, peering down at the bodies, "that I ended their pitiful lives before they could continue to destroy everything, including themselves._

"_So no," he chuckled. "I am not going to kill you." He glanced out the window. "But they might."_

_There was a small mob of men approaching the house, some that she knew, most that she could not recognize, wielding weapons. They looked angry. Driven. Ready to kill. "I don't understand," the girl whispered._

"_You used forbidden magic to kill your parents. You know this is strictly prohibited in our town and is punishable by death. They are coming to punish you."_

"_I'll tell them!" the girl shouted. "I'll tell them it was you! And then you'll pay."_

"_Erin," Rein shook his head, smiling sadly. "I don't plan on sticking around much longer. The evidence has already been planted. They know it was you, Erin. Good luck." He took a step back and Erin, a desperate tone to her voice now, cried once more, "You said you weren't going to kill me!"_

"_I'm not, Erin," Rein said seriously. "But this is your test. Lets see if I made the right choice by keeping you alive." And he vanished into the darkness just as the mob outside crashed through the door. _

"Because I was his sister," Erin said simply. Maurer looked surprised at her answer. "But they were his parents." Erin shrugged, just wishing the interview to be over. Where were Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall and Professor Dippet…. Didn't they realize how long this was taking? When would they be in to check on her?

"Stay with me Erin… last question…. Investigators found that the house was filled with skeletons. All of middle-aged men. They seem to have appeared or been placed there after the murder of your parents. Do you know anything about that?

_This is your test…._

"I have no idea. I had already left the house by then," Erin said swiftly. Maurer scratched out something with his quill and stood up just as Madame Pomfrey walked in, a scowl on her face. "That'll be all," he said, inclining his head toward Erin and Nick. "Thank you so much for your time, we at the Ministry of Magic truly appreciate it." He left the hospital wing as Madame Pomfrey muttered something about "tactless" and "indecency" and "Ministry morons."

Anger still boiling in her blood, Erin turned to Nick. "Why didn't you ever tell me you knew my brother?" she hissed.

"I didn't _know_ him," Nick said, "I only saw him. And I only just realized who it was now, when he said the name. Because, you know," he said sheepishly, "you guys have the same eyes."

"Yeah."

Nick, his eyes cast downward, said, "I had no idea about your brother, and your parents. Its awful, Erin, it really is," he said, looking up to meet her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Well, me too," Erin snapped. She wasn't feeling much in the mood for chatter.

Nick didn't seem to get the hint and said, "Probably worst birthday ever in history, huh?"

"You're like Albus- do you _ever_ shut up?" 

It fell silent, and Erin immediately regretted snapping at Nick. It wasn't his fault she had to relive that night over again. And relive it over and over and over again every second of her waking hours and revisit it in her dreams and nightmares.

No, it was someone's fault, but it was definitely not Nick's.


	24. Water

Chapter Twenty-Four: Water

It was like Halloween all over again. The entire school seemed to be buzzing about what had happened with Erin and Nick on the stairs to Dippet's office, although, like before, some of the facts seemed to have been lost and morphed into very unbelievable rumors. Albus, however, revered the attention that he too was getting, for during the few hours that Erin and Nick were forced to remain in the hospital wing, Albus found himself in the center of attention; as their best friend, people assumed he was bound to know something.

But only the three of them knew that someone was trying to kill Dippet.

"The cases must be related," Albus said as they walked to Auctorology together. "It's clearly the same culprit. Someone killed Seamus Finnigan. And someone's trying to kill Dippet."

"I don't think so…" muttered Nick. "If it was the same guy, there would be some sort of pattern."

"Is it because Finnigan was tortured?" Albus asked. Erin saw Nick flinch. They both had silently agreed not to reveal to Albus the contents of their interrogations. "I could see how that would throw you off. But there's no reason why to think Dippet's prospective killer isn't capable of that as well."

They fell silent as they filed into Ender's classroom and took their seats. Nick whispered to Erin, "You think what Albus is saying is true? That my dad might be the one trying to kill Dippet? Because if that's true… he could be in this school right now."

Was that anger, fear, or excitement Erin sensed in his voice?

Ender swooped over their desks. "Mr. Grindelwald," he said in a low voice, "please come up to my desk for a moment."

Nick shot Erin and Albus a worried look, and then followed Ender up to the front of the class. Erin watched them exchange a few words, and then Nick came back clutching something in his hand. "What was that about?" she asked.

"I had to pick a new stone," Nick said, showing her the new rock. This one was no longer multi-colored, but a very pale blue. For some reason, Nick's voice was shaking with anger, and he sat down very abruptly and loudly.

"Our second lesson with the elements will be water," Ender said, oblivious to or ignoring the way Nick slammed his bag onto the floor. "Rocks on your desks and wands out, please.

Ms. Zabini, tell me about the water element."

Charlie, who looked taken aback at being addressed to, quickly recovered. "Water is the symbol for peace and life, and contains many healing properties."

"Correct. Five points to Gryffindor." Several of the Slytherins hissed and Erin saw Charlie shift awkwardly. "However, water also," said Ender, "has destructive properties, like all the other elements as well. Today, we will be drowning our stones with water."

There was an immediate outburst of protest. Erin instinctively clutched Binns in her hands. Even some of the Slytherins were looking horrified. Scorpious in particular was attempting to stow his own rock safely away into his bag.

Ender raised his hand for silence, smiling. "I'm sorry to offend you like that. It was only meant to be a joke. I didn't realize how attached you had all grown to your rocks," he said, as half of the class cast their eyes downward or flushed at their own foolishness. "Nevertheless, we will be applying water to our lesson. There is one property of water Ms. Zabini forgot to mention- does anyone know it? No?

"Very well then. Water is also the symbol for great wisdom. Wisdom is ever changing, ever evolving, and something most people-" he observed them all with amused eyes- "children and adults, seem to lack. But it is something, unquestionably, that your stones lack. However, it is important for you to understand that you cannot give your stones _true_ wisdom, just like you cannot give them a true life.

"By giving your stones an artificial wisdom, you are giving them the ability to think for themselves with only common sense. If you have paid them enough close attention, you should have noticed they tend to move or do things without purpose, or else stupidly place themselves in unfavorable situations.

"This spell is called _fons consilium_. Where I discovered it people, more specifically students, seemed to think if they performed this pull upon themselves before a tests, they would miraculously know the material in order to pass. I would not suggest it," said Ender grimly. "Not only are you not more knowledgeable, but the spell in fact _reduces _your knowledge, subjecting it merely to a conscience and common sense. This is, of course, reversible, but I highly recommend you do not try it.

"Your rocks, though, would fare better with this spell. Before you are small basins of water," Ender said, waving his hand and the bowls appeared on each student's desk, "which you will use to siphon a stream of water out with your wand. I presume you have all been taught to do this already in Charms?" There was a murmur of assent. "Excellent, now pay close attention to my instructions. You will siphon the water with your wand. While the water is still attached you will point your wand directly at the rock and say _fons consilium_. If the spell was successful, the water should be absorbed into the rock. Everyone clear? Let's get moving."

He came over to the Gryffindors. "Mr. Grindelwald, if you will please first perform the air lesson we conducted last class," he said, and Nick nodded, his lips pressed too tightly in anger to speak. Erin watched the two of them interestedly. What had Ender said to make Nick so angry?

Erin turned away from the fuming Nick and concentrated on the basin of water. No sooner had she raised her wand than there was a resounding crack and the water basin split in half. Erin jumped up as water poured all over her desk, managing to soak its way through her robes. The Slytherins chortled with laughter and Erin felt her face flush. Ender repaired the bowl with a flick of his wand and said, "It's a simple siphoning charm, Ms. Lyths."

"I know," Erin gritted between her teeth, hey eyes still on the Slytherins. Was it her imagination or had the look on Charlie's face been triumphant? As Ender sidled away, Charlie gave Erin a supercilious wink. "You'll pay," Erin mouthed to her. Charlie only shrugged and then turned to smile at Mulciber, who had clasped her on the back.

"Here Erin, you can share mine," Albus said, pushing his basin closer to Erin. She angrily moved her chair beside his. "I'm going to kill Charlie," she muttered furiously, brandishing her wand over the water. A thin stream attached itself to her wand in midair. Albus copied her. "I wouldn't start a fight, if I were you. You don't want things to get out of hand," he warned. "Things are already out of hand," hissed Erin, motioning to her damp clothing.

Albus shrugged and Erin turned away, annoyed he wasn't taking her side. She pointed her wand at Binns. The water, just as Ender described, dissolved and disappeared into the rock. Was it just her, or did Binns look like he had a glow about him?

"I did it too!" cried Albus beside her. "And on the first try. So much easier than air, huh, Nick?"

But Nickk, who had already given his stone a breath of life, seemed to be having trouble completing the water task. "It-just-wont-go," he growled, pointing his wand with siphoned water at the rock and repeating the spell over and over again. Sometimes, the spell did nothing; mostly, the water merely bled onto the desk.

"It's like this, Nick," Albus explained eagerly, waving his own wand. Erin knew it was because Albus never got the chance to outshine Nick during class.

"I don't need your help," Nick hissed. For a second, Albus' face dropped. But he plastered a smile on his face and picked up Xavier as though examining him.

Erin knew Albus' sunny disposition was a façade. She caught him off guard sometimes in those rare moments when he allowed anger, sadness, or hurt to break through the wall he had built around himself. She wondered why he had built the wall in the first place, but then realized it must be for the same reason she had built one around herself.

"Well done," Ender lauded them after the last person, Nick, managed to perform the spell. "And five points each to Gryffindor and Slytherin for Mr. Potter and Mr. Warrington for completing the spell first." The Gryffindors clapped Albus on the back and Erin felt a wave of jealousy. What about her, hadn't she done it before Albus had?

As the bell rang and the class moved toward the exit, Erin approached Ender furiously. "I was the first to complete the spell," she said. Ender, who had been staring absentmindedly at his collection of books, met her eyes. In that moment, she saw the red burst at the outer edge of his aura. "I didn't see anything," he said in a cold whisper.

Erin opened her mouth to retort; then she abruptly turned around and marched out of the classroom.

"He hates me."

"He does not."

"He does too."

Charms class, as always, was filled with a buzz, and Erin chose to tell Albus about Ender, only to find herself even more frustrated when Albus didn't take her side for the second time that day.

"You're completely overreacting," Rose said from beside Albus. Erin glared at her. "I wasn't asking you." Was it so difficult just to get her friends to believe her?

But Nick was shaking his head at Albus and Rose. "I reckon Erin is right," he said, "and I think he's got it out for me as well."

"Listen to yourselves!" Rose said as the mouse who's fur color she was supposed to be changing turned blue. "Professor Ender is a teacher, teachers don't arbitrarily pick on students."

"Come on, you know that's not true," said Albus, "Professor Snape used to hate my dad."

"Well, turned out he was good after all. Your dad even named you after him. Severus. What a silly name."

"Hey!" Albus retorted, turning to her angrily.

But Erin shot Nick a significant look. "What if Rose is right?" she whispered. "What if its not arbitrary?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… what if there's a reason why he dislikes us. He said he's been traveling abroad for years, almost his whole life, collecting information…. What if while he was abroad…?" She left the question hanging but Nick understood. "You think he ran into one of our families? Highly unlikely," he concluded, although he did look a bit nervous.

"You're talking about Professor Ender, right?" came a voice from beside them. It was Aelxander Rade. His eyes were fixed on Erin and she felt a prickle of discomfort. "I've heard all about him," Alexander said in somewhat of an arrogant voice. "He and Dippet used to be big enemies back in school."

"No way!" Nick exclaimed. "Dippet relies on him for everything."

"Well, Dippet's always been a no good, feeble, blundering fool," Alexander said harshly. 'But they got into a huge fight in their seventh year, and Ender was expelled."

"Expelled?"

"Oh yes," Alexander nodded, smiling. He seemed to love the raptness with which he held their attention. "Expelled. And then after that, he disappeared. Went abroad for years. Most say he dabbled in the Dark Arts and got himself into trouble. Of course, _saintly_, _heroic_ Dippet had to go save him. They traveled abroad together for a while when that happened, and that's all I know thus far."

Nick and Erin exchanged looks. Ender had been expelled? He had gotten into trouble with the Dark Arts?

"Oh yeah, and another thing," Alexander said, leaning closer. "Ender killed Dippet's wife."


	25. The Race

Chapter Twenty-five: The Race

"How much can we really believe what this guy says?" Albus asked Erin after they had filled him in on everything Alexander had told them. "He seemed to know what he was talking about," Erin murmured, but Albus shook his head. "It's all hearsay," he declared. "He's got nothing to prove that Ender got mixed up with Dark Arts or that he killed Dippet's wife! In fact, I don't even think he had a wife."

"What about that part about him getting expelled then?" 

"We can verify that," Nick said, and then shivered in the cold. Luckily, the Hogwarts grounds were not yet covered in snow, although Erin knew it was bound to be soon, with Christmas approaching. This was their last flying lesson until the springtime, but Erin couldn't help but wonder who in their right mind thought anyone would enjoy flying in the middle of December.

"Quiet, please!" Madame Hooch called as she emerged from the changing rooms. "I've set up an exciting course for us today." Several of the Slytherins made very loud and very obvious retching sounds. "I _know_ its cold out but it's your last class. Everyone step over to the right side of the broom."

"I would be careful if I were you," a voice whispered behind Erin. She jumped, and the three o them turned to face Mulciber and his cronies. "You wouldn't want to _accidentally_ fall off your broom now, would you?" He asked, smirking. Erin narrowed her eyes. "You wouldn't dare."

"Ms. Lyths, that's enough!" Madame Hooch called, and Mulciber smirked. "Now if you've all paid attention, I've set up a small obstacle course for you each to complete two at a time. It'll be fun." But no one seemed to think that would be fun and let out disgruntled groans. "No? Alright, how about this, every person who finishes before their opponent does wins five points for their house." Now everyone looked excited. Scarlet did some quick math. "If we each win, we could get _fifty_ house points!" she exclaimed, her face shining. "So Evan, don't screw this up for us," she hissed, and Evan's face turned beet red.

"We'll race them according to strength," Scarlet continued. Erin rolled her eyes. "Who died and left you in charge?"

"I'll go first, because I'm clearly the fastest," Scarlet said, ignoring Erin. Then her eyes fell on Charlie. "Don't you go sabotaging us!" Scarlet warned angrily, and Charlie just shrugged noncommittally. "You're part of Gryffindor now. It's about time you accept that," she said with a toss of her dark hair. If Scarlet hadn't been acting so haughty, Erin would have agreed with her.

"Let's get started!" Madame Hooch called. "Mr. Malfoy, you're going first? And who's first from Gryffindor?"

"Ooh, he's their best flyer," Scarlet muttered, "I'll take this one…."

But Erin heard herself saying loudly, "Me, I'll do it."

"Excellent, Ms. Lyths," said Madame Hooch, motioning for her to join Scorpious where he stood. "I _said_ I'd do it," Scarlet hissed as Erin marched past her, broomstick over her shoulder. "Good luck, Erin," Albus said nervously, and Nick muttered, "We'll be keeping an eye on _them_ so don't worry," he said, nodding at the Slytherins, who were making faces at Erin.

"There are four hoops, all different heights," Madame Hooch said, pointing at them on the Quidditch field. There were considerably shorter than the real Quidditch hoops, which towered in the air. "On my whistle, you will fly through each of the hoops, but be careful not to crash into the hoops or into one another. When you emerge from the fourth hoop, you will find two balls suspended in the air. Grab _one_ and fly back though the hoops so you can pass the ball to your teammate.

"Everyone will line up here in pairs of two. The second person to go will bring the ball back through the fourth hoop and leave it there, and race back to tag the next person in line, who will go get the ball once more; and so on and so forth. I will be keeping score the whole time.

"Understood? Ms. Lyths and Mr. Malfoy, are you ready?"

Erin nodded, her stomach hurting from nerves. Why had she offered to go first?

"Crush her, Malfoy!" a Slytherin called.

"I know you can do it," Evan whispered timidly.

"_Five_ points," Scarlet reminded her.

"On my whistle then," Madame Hooch said. "Three, two-"

In that instant, Erin met Scorpious' eyes. She could have sworn he mouthed "good luck" before kicking off the ground as the whistle blew.

"Erin, GO!" someone shouted, and she sped off after him. Everything was a blur. She had never flown so fast before. The screams and cheers of her classmates faded away into the piercing sound of the wind.

Scorpious was only a few feet before her. He flew easily through the first hoop that was pretty close to the ground, and Erin followed. Why did he keep turning around to look at her? She caught him watching and he grinned. She was taken aback. This wasn't like the Scorpious who had spent months ignoring her…. Did he really want to win so badly he was playing with her mind? This, if anything, prompted her to go faster.

The second hoop was higher than the first. Erin leaned back so her broom could accelerate upwards, watching Scorpious already emerge from the other side. It wasn't fair. He was just so goddamn fast. He was still ahead of her even when they passed the third and fourth hoop, and grabbed one of the floating balls just as she flew to it, scowling. "Better keep up!" he called with another grin and sped off once again through the fourth hoop. Erin grabbed at the ball and shoved it under her arm. Was that a dare?

"Come on," she urged her broom angrily. Scorpious' seemed to glide at his every move. Why couldn't she fill the gap between them? And then suddenly, she felt the wind pick up speed behind her and found herself neck to neck with Scorpious. "Erin?" he said in surprise, although she could barely hear him over the gust of wind. She wanted to tell him that she could beat him; she wanted to tell him he wasn't as good as he thought; she wanted to tell him that he would lose.

But instead, what came out was- "You're a traitor!" she found herself yelling. Scorpious' eyes widened, and suddenly he looked downcast. "A stupid traitor! You just- you just left me and didn't say a word. How could-"

Wham! The handle of her broomstick hit the edge of the hoop hard, sending a reverberating shock into her hands. Her broom spun off and she felt a hard lump rise in her throat. That had been the last hoop. She had been so close to winning. She heard the Slytherins laughing gleefully and the Gryffindors groan.

Face flushed, she redirected her broom through the hoop and toward's the next Gryffindor in line. She saw with surprise that Scorpious had not yet touched down. She still had a chance! She sped so that they were alongside each other, heads bent toward victory, and as they neared the ground Erin saw Scorpious, out of the corner of her eye, draw back slightly. What was he doing? She didn't have the time to wonder. She landed on the ground amidst the cheers of the Gryffindors and tossed the ball to Scarlet, who was next. "Five points to Gryffindor!" Madame Hooch announced as Scorpious landed on the ground and handed the ball to the next Slytherin, who looked furious.

"Neat flying," Albus congratulated her as he craned his neck to watch Scarlet who, was indeed, a very good flyer. "I almost thought you lost it there when you hit the hoop."

"Yeah," Erin muttered, "so did I."

She watched as Scorpoius, before turning to be berated by his friends, gave her a weak smile. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that Scorpious had let her win.


	26. Fiasco in Potions

Chapter Twenty-six: Fiasco in Potions

As December drew to a close, Erin found everyone discussing Christmas plans- except for her. Albus and James were going home to spend the holiday with Rose and her family; Nick was going to have a Christmas just him and his mum; Charlie, Scarlet, Michelle, and Diana were going home as well. Even Evan, who remained fascinated by Hogwarts, complained that his parents were making him spend Christmas with them.

_I don't know what he's complaining about_, Erin thought savagely to herself as she stroked Sapphira's wings at breakfast. She had decided to remain at Hogwarts alone, not because she had anything to do but because she didn't want to spend Christmas at the orphanage. "You could come stay by me," Albus offered when he discovered Erin was going to stay at the school by herself. But Erin refused. "No," she found herself saying before she had even reached a decision. "I can't."

"Okay," Albus said uncertainly.

She wasn't sure why she had turned down his offer. Now, as she watched her friends packing or chatting about their holiday plans, she felt jealous and regretful.

Charms class didn't make anything better. The constant noise enabled Scarlet to explain, in a loud voice with much detail, about the wonderful trip her parents had planned for Australia. "And its _summer_ there," she gushed, "so none of this awful weather," she said, gesturing distastefully the sleet of rain that was pouring outside the window.

Erin instead used this opportunity to obtain more information out of the Alexander Rade. She noticed he seemed to know a lot that he shouldn't, but wasn't all too sure if she liked him. For one thing, he tended to be creepy and was always arrogant.

She asked more questions about Ender, curious about why he had been expelled, although the only thing Alexander could tell her was that it involved the fight between him and Dippet. He also assured her that Ender really did kill Dippet's wife. "It was more of a joint effort, though," Alexander said. "Dippet's actually the one that killed her. Ender only participated."

"And why would Dippet kill his own wife?"

Alexander shrugged. Erin did, however, discover that Dippet had a son who had died a few years back."

"I saw a picture of him," she told Nick and Albus as they walked through the dungeons to Potions. "He was really little and kind of chubby… didn't look much like Dippet."

"I wonder how he died, though?" Nick mused.

"I don't know," Erin said, wishing she'd had more time in Charms before the bell rang.

Potions, as always, was easy for Erin and difficult for Albus; and even more so for Evan, who couldn't seem to follow the proper instructions. Today, Erin had to admit that the formula for the boil cure wasn't as simple as usual, and Evan seemed to be under a great deal of pressure. He face was shining with sweat as he cut up a nasty looking root on his desk with his knife.

"Boys and girls!" Professor Prince called out. "Make sure your potions are in tiptop shape, this is the last grade you will be receiving before the holidays!"

There was a knock at the door. "Ms. Geller, could you get that?" Michelle came back with Dippet and two men. Erin recognized them each as Wallace and Maurer, the Aurors who had both interrogated her. What were they doing here?

"Good afternoon, Professor Prince," Dippet said, inclining his head toward the frazzled teacher. "What are we learning today?" he asked a Slytherin girl nearest to him.

"A cure for boils," she stammered, humbled at being addressed to directly by the headmaster.

The two Aurors positioned themselves on opposites sides of the room, their eyes sweeping everywhere, while Dippet approached Professor Prince. The entire class broke into a wave of whispers and Erin edged her desk up closer, trying to hear what they were saying.

"I'm sorry to disturb your class," Dippet whispered to Professor Prince, who shook his head nervously. "Not at all, not at all headmaster! Is there a problem?"

"Actually, there is," he said. "I just received information that there is something planted in this room."

"_Planted?_" Professor Prince repeated. "Like- like a bomb?"

"That's a Muggle's toy, Lucas," Dippet said dismissively. "I'm hoping its not another berserk decoy, or perhaps something worse. Please continue with your class lesson, and we will just peer around the room. If it appears to be nothing- which it very well may be- we will be out of your hair in no time."

"Yes- well, thank you very much, headmaster," Professor Prince said, and then turned back to the class. "Well, what are you all waiting for? I told you to make sure your cures are perfect!"

But no one seemed to be concentrating on the potion. Rather, they watched as the two Aurors and Dippet patrolled around the classroom, rummaging through the ingredients cabinets or shelves, and even occasionally around a student's desk.

"What are they looking for?" Nick muttered to Erin from the corner of his mouth.

"Looks like they got the heads up that something's in the room," Erin responded, and then saw a great shadow mask them. Professor Prince looked very upset. "Now really!" he exclaimed. "Ms. Lyths and Mr. Grindelwald, I cannot further explain how important it is that you two complete today's lesson. If not," he turned to the class at large, "you may risk failing!"

This got everyone moving, no matter how curious they were as to the purpose of the headmaster's and his Aurors' intrusion. As Erin grabbed a handful of sapruckle leaves to sprinkle into her potion, a hand clamped itself around her wrist to stop her. It was Maurer. "Hey," she said angrily, pulling her hand out of his. But he wasn't paying attention. "Headmaster!" he called, and Dippet hurried over. "I've just realized… what if it was already planted in the cauldrons?"

And they turned, horrified, as they watched the potions bubbling in each student's cauldron. "We should evacuate the room," Dippet decided. He moved toward Nick and Evan to address the class. "Children, I am asking you not to panic but to please-"

BOOM!

It felt to Erin as though the entire castle was collapsing. The floor was shaking so violently she wasn't entirely sure she was on the floor anymore. Her world was a haze of black smoke and rubble. Coughing, she managed to get to her feet as the remaining dust settled.

The Potions room was no longer a room. It seemed to have been reduced to heaps of rubble and dust that was milling around the ruins. Beside her, Erin's called had become a twist of black. She touched it and immediately drew back her hand. It was searing hot.

How had she survived? Then she gazed around her and saw students emerging from the floor, all choking and coughing. They all seemed to have a blue shield around them. Erin peered at her own body and saw that she, too, had the same shield. Dippet and the Aurors, the only ones still standing, waved their wands, and the remnants of the blue shield disappeared.

"Is everyone alright?" Professor Prince called as he rose, brushing off his robes. "Wallman? Are you okay?"

The Gryffindors immediately crowded around Evan. He was still on the ground, whimpering, with several boils on his face, but otherwise quite unharmed.. "It was my fault," he sobbed. "It was my cauldron that exploded." 

"Mr. Wallman-" Professor Prince began sternly.

"It was not his fault," Maurer said, leaning down to examine what remained of the cauldron. "Headmaster, Wallace, come here and see this."

What they were looking at, Erin wasn't exactly sure. Evan's cauldron seemed to be in a far worse state than hers. His had melted into a puddle of goop. But Maurer, prodding it with his wand, jabbed into it and siphoned out a stream of white dust.

"Whitehorn powder," he said in the dramatic pause. "Professor?" But Professor Prince had already brought a small vial, and Maurer disposed of the powder into it. "I'll take that as evidence," he said, pocketing the small glass. "You're a very lucky boy," he said to Evan, and then shot Dippet a look.

Dippet turned to the class. "I am terribly sorry for the event that just occurred. Rest be assured, we will be looking into this matter to catch the culprit."

"That's what they said about Seamus Finnigan," Scarlet whispered, "and they still haven't caught whoever did that."

"If anyone has any information that would be of use, please do not hesitate to come talk to either I or Mr. Mauror or Mr. Wallace. And I apologize for your room, Lucas," Dippet said, peering at the Potions room sadly. "We'll have it back to its original condition by the time you all arrive back at Hogwarts after your Christmas vacation."

Before they left, Maurer peered at the class with narrowed eyes. Was it just Erin's imagination, or was he looking at her? But instead, he said, "Evan Wallman, please come with me," and Evan had no choice but to follow him, looking back at his classmates with pleading eyes.

"Whitehorn powder?" Erin asked in a whisper. "Its used in explosives," Scarlet answered back quietly, "and it's poisonous to inhale or touch." On cue, they all looked around at the dust still settling around them, and hurried out of the room.

"I still think it was Evan," Scarlet said once they were safe from the possible poison. "Not on purpose, of course."

"Where would he have accidentally gotten whitehorn powder?" Erin said doubtfully, and then turned to Nick and Albus. "You know what I'm thinking?" she said in an undertone. "That this is the third attempt on Dippet's life."


End file.

Harry Potter, Fantasy