Disclaimer: All characters, places and things to do with the Harry Potter universe are owned by JK Rowling, meaning all that you recognise does not belong to me.

Note: This story does not take into account the invention of the Wolfsbane Potion.

PART ONE

1. Friendly Ghosts

Alanna pulled her head under the covers. The noises were extra loud tonight, and they scared the four-year-old. The growling and scratching – it was too much.

The door opened, and Alanna froze. What if it was coming to get her? She took a deep breath. There were footsteps on the wooden floor, coming towards her, shuffling, scratch, scratch…

Alanna screamed as the covers were pulled back.

"Oh, Alanna!" Her mother scooped her up into her arms and kissed her hair. "What's wrong?"

The girl began to cry, and her mother rocked her and hushed her. "It's all right, darling, it's all right," she said. "What's wrong?"

"The noises are loud and scary," Alanna sobbed, clinging onto her mother's arms. "It's a monster and it's coming to get me."

"Oh, don't be scared," her mother said. "It's just the ghosts. The ghosts are playing a game tonight. You remember Sir Nicholas? They are just like him, and they won't hurt you."

Alanna's lip quivered as she looked up at her mother. "There are ghosts in our house?"

"Didn't I ever tell you?" her mother said, carefully putting her daughter back into bed and drawing up the covers. "When daddy and I bought the house, every night we heard strange sounds. There was scratching and bangs and laughing. But we could not find what was making the sound. Then one night, on the full moon, it was very loud. So your daddy and I got up and followed the noise to a little room upstairs. There, we found sixteen ghosts, all flying around and playing! When we talked to the ghosts, we told them that they were waking us up at night. They said they were sorry, and promised that they would only play games on the full moon. So it isn't monsters, it's just some friendly ghosts."

Alanna's blue eyes were wide, and she sat up, flinging the blankets away. "Can we go meet them?" she asked eagerly. Her mother laughed.

"No, we can't! The ghosts run away now when we try to talk to them. It's better if we leave them alone." She again tucked her daughter into the bed. "So promise me that you won't go looking for the ghosts?"

"Yes, I promise," Alanna answered. Her mother held out her hand.

"Shake my hand," she said. The girl did so, making the promise unbreakable. "Good girl. Now, go to sleep." Alanna's mother leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"How did the ghosts get there?" Alanna asked.

"That's a story for another day," her mother answered. "Now go to sleep!"

Alanna curled up in her bed as her mother quietly closed the door, no longer afraid of the scratching and howling.